Flee (2021)

Flee (2021)

A humanizing look at the refugee crisis

The Very Best

8.5

Movie

Denmark, Estonia
Danish, Dari, English
Animation, Documentary
2021
JONAS POHER RASMUSSEN
Behrouz Bigdeli, Belal Faiz, Daniel Karimyar
89 min

What it's about

Recounted mostly through animation to protect his identity, Amin looks back over his past as a child refugee from Afghanistan as he grapples with a secret he’s kept hidden for 20 years.

The take

When Amin sits down for a tell-all interview about his troubling past, his memories come to life in vivid animation. Sometimes they are sweet and intimate, like when he recounts his time as a playful boy in a much freer Afghanistan. But often, they’re marred by the unbelievable horrors of refugee life. Now a successful academic and soon-to-be husband, Amin discovers the inescapability of his status and identity, the reality of which continues to threaten his safety to this day.

Relevant and vital, Flee sheds some much-needed light on an often-overlooked phenomenon. More than just displaying factoids and numbers, it relays the specific unease and constant vigilance that comes with fleeing one’s home. But as Amin’s story, it is also richly detailed and wonderfully personal; for all its harsh exposés, the film leaves enough room for Amin’s stirring realizations about love, identity, and sexuality.

Comments

Add a comment

What did you think? Who should watch it?

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Skate Kitchen (2018)

An all-girl skate crew take us for a dreamy verité ride-along through their coming of age

8.1

Midnight Traveler (2019)

Cellphone-filmed story of two filmmakers and their daughters who become refugees

7.3

Born in Evin (2020)

Born in Iran's worst prison, a filmmaker's quest for truth

7.5

Persepolis (2007)

A free spirit comes of age in war-torn Iran

8.9

The Earth Is Blue as an Orange (2020)

Art as a lifeline in a war zone

7.8

Retrograde (2022)

A fly-on-the-wall look at the devastating aftermath of the US’ sudden exit from Afghanistan

7.0

Navalny (2023)

An urgent profile of Russia’s fiercest advocate (and Vladimir Putin’s greatest opponent)

7.5

Welcome to Chechnya (2020)

A harrowing, uncompromising account of efforts to save LGBTQ+ Chechens from Russian authorities

7.6

Nowhere (2023)

A riveting Spanish Netflix survival thriller brought to life in Anna Castillo’s performance

7.8

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2023 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.