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
- owen-watts - 15 February 2024
"...Take Me On..."
This Danish animated Oscar-nibbler is a stark documentary about the experience of one man (and his family) escaping persecution and trying to get into Europe. His is the quintessential story of our times, a queasy and often overlooked tale of endurance, danger and uncertainty. A story endured by millions of people each year, a mind boggling number disappear without comment. The spare animation was a little hit-and-miss for me and it drifts into a predictable give-us-loads-of-awards structure towards the end but there is a very real and very serious core of dark truth here that makes this story worth seeing and worth knowing. - paulclaassen - 5 July 2022
Amazing, powerful, stunning!!
For some reason I've always wanted to see a gay-themed animated movie. My wish was fulfilled with 'Flee'.
Although the primary theme here is not homosexuality, our hero, Amin, is gay. Haunted by memories of his past, Amin tells his story to a psychiatrist and we follow his life through back flashes. His story starts in 1984 when he was "three or four years old". He realized he was gay at a very young age, and fantasized about Jean-Claude van Damme. However, he was a gay man in Afghanistan in a time when homosexuality "did not exist" in that country. (Amin is also easily one of the sexiest animated characters ever!).
'Flee' is a powerful and heart-breaking story about a family fleeing their country so their sons don't have to fight - and die - in war. Their journey takes them to Russia, where they have to overcome obstacle upon obstacle to survive. I was captivated - and moved - from beginning to end. The film reminded me so much of 'Waltz with Bashir' - one of my all-time favourite animated films.
They cleverly combine actual footage with animation. Note, although this is an animated film, it is aimed at a mature audience. A young demographic will not understand the events in the film. This is a very serious movie and might not appeal to children.
'Flee' was incredibly relevant now (in 2022) with the ongoing Ukranian/Russian war. Based on fact, the events depicted here are bound to pull at your heartstrings and even shock you to the core for the inhumane and selfish actions of various individuals, and ignorant bystanders.
I enjoyed the film's narration, presentation, and unique animation. I loved every moment of 'Flee' - in different stages of emotion. Wow, this was stunning! 'Flee' is an instant favourite!
Would I watch it again? Yes!! And again, and again, and again...
