IN ASHES (FR)

IN ASHES (FR)

LUDVIG CHRISTIAN NÆSTED POULSEN | DENMARK | 2025 | 82 MIN | DANISH FST

LUDVIG CHRISTIAN NÆSTED POULSEN | DENMARK | 2025 | 82 MIN | DANISH FST

FeatureCOMPETITION

Synopsis

DANISH • FRENCH ST | With In Ashes, writer-director Ludvig Christian Næsted Poulsen grippingly toys with genre. He inflects one Danish collegian’s immersion in frantic hook-up culture amidst a relationship mysteriously ended with elements of psychological horror and the tension of a spy thriller. In 2017 Copenhagen, baby-faced Christian (Rex Leonard, a nervy knockout) is glued to his camera, determined to capture every giddy moment he spends with his long-distance boyfriend Aske (Lior Cohen). Flash forward to 2022 Aarhus, “the most wonderful city in the world,” and a scruffier Christian seems less than content. He interrogates his schoolmate’s perspective and confronts strangers over assumed slights. He’s plagued by an unspoken ailment. And Aske seems nowhere to be found. With each empty tryst, each hungrily inhaled cigarette, Christian descends into a type of madness. Or is it clarity? Aske’s reappearance, arriving with the jolt of a jump scare, may hold the key to that question, as desperation congeals into starry-eyed determination. For those drawn in by the enigmatic pull of All of Us Strangers, In Ashes will have you guessing ‘is this a romance or a tragedy’ until the very last second—perhaps, even, long after.

Trailer

Filmmaker Bio

Ludvig Christian Næsted Poulsen is a Danish filmmaker and screenwriter celebrated for his authentic and emotionally resonant storytelling. After beginning his career as a model, he transitioned to filmmaking in 2014 and graduated from Super8 Film School in 2022. His debut feature, In Ashes, premiered at the Mardi Gras Film Festival in Australia in February 2025. The film has been showcased at international festivals, including the Golden Horse Fantastic Film Festival in Taiwan. Known for exploring LGBTQ+ themes with depth and empathy, Poulsen's work offers a raw and honest portrayal of modern relationships.

Producer

Mette Mikkelsen,, Jakob Meier, Jonathan Langelund

Writer

Ludvig Christian Næsted Poulsen

Cinematographer

Anton Underbjerg

Cast

Rex Leonard
Lior David Cohen
Laura Bach
Carla Eleonora Feigenberg
Marie Askehave
Mario Aleksander Kojas Bøckman
Kristoffer Eriknauer
Oliver Jacoby

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