Flee (2021) Movie Review
Flee is one of the most effective and moving documentaries I’ve seen in years. Amin is on the verge of getting married to his partner, Kasper. This major life event has triggered an emotional response from him and he wants to share his past for the first time. And what an intense past it is. Amin grew up in Afghanistan in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. As unrest plagued the region, Amin’s family became a target. His father was arrested and shortly after his arrest he disappeared.
Amin, along with his brother, mother, and two sisters, fled Afghanistan and wound up in Russia. Amin’s oldest brother had escaped already and was living in Sweden. He began trying to save enough money to smuggle the rest of his family out of Russia and to Sweden. One by one, the family begins to make their way out of Russia. When it’s Amin’s turn, he goes alone. He relays the terrifying and arduous journey, relying on human traffickers to bring him to safety.
Flee is a documentary but to protect Amin’s identity, his real name is not used. Instead of the traditional documentary style, director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, uses animation to depict the story as Amin relates it to us in order to give an added layer of security for Amin’s real identity. The effect here is marvelous as the animation gives us a visual of the story Amin is relaying. It’s not often that documentaries use animation effectively, and the rare use of it here is spectacular. Amin’s story is harrowing and packed with action and suspense. But Rasmussen does an excellent job of showing the human side of his journey and the cost of having to flee one’s home country and become a refugee.
Even as an adult with a successful career in academia, Amin struggles to make sense of what happened to him. Several times while being interviewed he breaks down in tears, remembering the terror and anger he felt at his situation as a kid. We see the cost of having nowhere to go and no money to get there. On top of this, Amin is gay and has to navigate coming to terms with his sexual identity as well as sharing it with his family. When Amin finally tells his brother, it’s perhaps the most heartwarming scene of the entire movie. There are so many layers to Flee, you’ll be dissecting it for weeks after watching it. It is such an effective and emotional way to tell the story of a kid who had to flee his home with his family and try to make his way to safety.
This movie and Amin’s story will tug at your heartstrings and deliver emotional blow after emotional blow. As conversations and disagreements flow about immigration issues, it’s easy to forget there are real human beings at the other end of these policies and procedures. Flee makes sure you don’t forget that. At the end of the day, what makes Flee so effective and impactful is bringing the human cost of political and social unrest to the forefront. And it’s devastating. But there is also hope that things can get better. Amin is determined not to squander his opportunities and he is able to build a life that he and his family should be proud of. Flee uses the unique perspective of incorporating animation with documentary and the results are magnificent.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You care about refugees
2. You like stories with many layers
3. You’re knowledgeable about the history of Afghanistan
