Review: Flee

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This documentary follows Amin, an Afghan refugee living in Denmark. Told through animation to preserve Amin's true identity, he tells filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen a story that he has kept secret for quite some time.

I have been very underwhelmed with the animated features this year. Surprisingly enough, it's an animated documentary that broke my slump. Flee might not be the most expertly animated, but it has a ton of heart and an extraordinary story.

I wish anti immigration folks would stop and think about the hell refugees have to go through to get asylum. This doc really sends that home. As Amin recalls how his family had to go from Afghanistan to Russia, then Russian to Sweden, and more in between, it never shies away from how expensive it is to pay someone to stow you away, and how awful those conditions can be. Thankfully, it never gets into exploitative territory, but the message is very clear.

I was enthralled by Amin's story, so much so that my only complaint about the doc itself is that I wanted to know more about Amin after he got to Copenhagen. How did he become the seemingly successful man he is today? I'm sure the reason we never know is again to keep his identity concealed, but still. I had questions.

So is this for you? If you like documentaries, foreign films, or are on a quest to see as many Oscar nominated films as possible. This one is available for you to watch on Hulu.

Grade: A

Comments

  1. thevoid99February 22, 2022 at 2:06 PM

    This was at my multiplex a few weeks ago though I'm not sure if the film is in its original language or dubbed as I would be upset to go to the latter as that kind of ruins the film for me. I do want to see this though I am unsure if I have access to Hulu right now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 23, 2022 at 9:16 AM

      Ohh I would hope they wouldn't dub it. I feel like it would lose a lot of meaning considering there are several different languages spoken.

      Delete
  2. BirgitFebruary 22, 2022 at 2:24 PM

    I would love to see this and how I hate when I hear someone say that "the immigrants took our jobs." I have had plenty of people in my office who had to escape their own country. Unlike many who were born and raised in my country (Canada), the people from other countries were most often polite, humble, intelligent and took jobs no one else wanted. I recall one couple-both were lawyers in their own country but, when he got to his building and found it destroyed by shells, they decided to flee the country and ended up here. Now they work in a job as caretakers because they can't be lawyers here unless they spent the money to go through the whole schooling again. There is no schooling to upgrade and to learn the laws etc... from this country. I enjoy speaking with people from other countries and learn so much. people, here, if they dress up, they dress in sweats and a stained t-shirt which, I guess, is better than pajama bottoms.

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    Replies
    1. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 23, 2022 at 9:15 AM

      I feel the same way. Anyone who takes an anti immigration stance is not someone I want to be around.

      Delete
    2. thevoid99February 23, 2022 at 4:32 PM

      "DEY TOOK MY JERB!" "DERKA-DER!!!!" That's all I can think of when it comes to anti-immigration.

      Delete
    3. Brittani BurnhamFebruary 24, 2022 at 8:11 AM

      YES! My friend and I were talking about this yesterday. That's what we think of too

      Delete

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