Film Review - Flee

Images courtesy of Madman Entertainment.

A powerful story about survival that bleeds hope through the linework.

Flee, directed by Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen, is an animated documentary film that tells the story of Amin Nawabi and his experiences fleeing his country of Afghanistan. This tale of endurance fills you with dread before you are swept away with the images of dejected reality, only to finally cheer in the name of unbridled joy and victory. Flee is a must watch.

As this is a true story based on the lived experiences of a living person, there will be no comments on what happens in the story, other than the fact that it is an amazing story of a man healing through the trauma he’s faced throughout his life. However, the main focus of this review is how the story has been conveyed. To put it short; masterfully.

In an interview with Variety’s Doc Dreams, presented by National Geographic, Rasmussen stated that using animation allowed him to “revive the past”. That seems like  an understatement, as we are able to fully experience this past as it’s brought to the light. From the texture of the linework to the colour palette in every scene, we are thrusted into this journey. While one might be a bit taken out of the film due to its lower frame rate, it could also be considered a thematic enhancement of Amin’s story; a missing frame is a missing moment taken away from his life. The style of the animation, while residing more on the realistic side, allows for such expressive emotions through its subtle movement; despair amongst almond-shaped eyes, tranquillity residing on the corner of a smile, fear in the small lift of an eyebrow. It’s not a “pretty” style, as one might see in mainstream animated media, but neither are the events of Amin’s story. Neither is life. The grittiness of the design juxtaposing with the subtleness of the animation beautifully conveys Amin’s story, and it’s well deserving of the awards. 

(*cough cough* This should have won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards *cough cough*)

Flee is playing as part of ACMI’s Best 22 of 2022 program, Saturday 17 Dec 2022 to Tuesday 14 Feb 2023. For tickets and more info, click here.