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. A thrilling documentary made with a blend of animation and archive footage tells an immensely powerful tale of a gay Afghan survivor and his need to confront his past in order to truly have a future. Amin arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, at 36, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his long-time boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for over 20 years threatens to ruin the life he has built for himself. For the first time he is sharing his story with his close friend. FLEE weaves together a stunning tapestry of images and memories to tell the deeply affecting and original story of a young man grappling with his traumatic past in order to find his true self and the meaning of home.
- Released: 2021-06-17
- Runtime: 90 minutes
- Genre: Animation, Documentaries
- Stars: Rashid Aitouganov, Daniel Karimyar, Fardin Mijdzadeh, Milad Eskandari, Belal Faiz, Elaha Faiz, Zahra Mehrwarz, Sadia Faiz, Georg Jagunov, Navid Nazir, Hafiz Højmark, Denis Rivin, Vadim Nedaskovskij, Viktor Melnikov, Mikhail Belinson, Ditte Graa Wulff, Bo Asdal Andersen, The Dungeon Master, Behrouz Bigdeli, Christian Torp Carlsen, Gustaf Georg Lindström, Tormod Ringnes, Susanna Azevedo, Mauricio González-Aranda, Shabbir Showne, Amin Nawabi, Rashid Aitouganov, Jean-Pierre Pernaut
- Director: Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Comments
- ThurstonHunger - 2 September 2022
Something's Not Rotten In Denmark...
Amin may be a pseudonym, but the authenticity of his voice is undeniable. Even thinking back on the actual film, I have to remind myself that the "footage" for many scenes was drawn.
Did you see it? Think back out to when Amin arrives in Denmark and his phone call to his brother, for me it almost feels like it was a live action shot. In general the animation was artful, but never to the point of distraction. Perhaps to a degree it does put the viewer at easy, in watching some very uneasy situations. The film is PG13 for a reason, and not the sexuality.
Traveling on the rough seas in rougher circumstances. My heart definitely felt for Amin's mother.
Anyways, if you are like myself and see immigration as largely an act of courage (certainly with other elements mixed in, and sadly often desperation among them), then this film should suit you well. I've only talked intimately with one person (so far) who has immigrated under duress, I'll never forget that.
Reading some of the other reviewers here, the notion of the Western Gaze was interesting. I might counter that at the heart of this film there is an element of family devotion, and while I hope we have that here in the West and in the United States, that bond surely was born in Afghanistan.
Wherever it is, it is beautiful. Hopefully "Amin" and "Kasper" create that in their new home, with their cats and others.
