Flee
Flee is a genre bending animated documentary that tells the story of Amin and his struggles as a refugee. Image courtesy of NEON.
Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Rating: 🏆 most excellent
Flee is an animated Danish documentary about a man named Amin who fled Afghanistan as a child after the Soviet Union left and the country descended into war. It chronicles his struggles with trying to find somewhere safe to live. The story is told as a series of interviews between Amin and the director who have been friends since high school. Because they have known each other for so long, Amin is able to open up and begin sharing his trauma and secrets that have been locked up tight for decades.
This documentary is heartbreaking because it is the story of millions of people around the world. It’s infuriating to see the inner workings of how challenging it can be to navigate political barriers, human-trafficking opportunists, and the stress of trying to keep a family together. More needs to be done to provide refugees with the basic human right of safety.
The style of this documentary is unique because it’s animated. It feels like the protagonist is able to speak more freely because he knew that he would not be seen physically on screen. It feels like those late-night chats in the dark with best friends where you’re able to open up and admit things that you’ve never told anyone before.
This genre-bending film is an absolute must-watch for all cinephiles!
Review written by Zianna Weston
Flee provides an intimate look inside a refugee’s tumultuous past, and their struggle to reconcile their past with their present. Image courtesy of NEON.
