Flee
Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated documentary about an Afghan refugee deals brilliantly with serious material.
It was Britain's first full-length animated film, the Halas and Batchelor adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm released in 1954, which proved that this medium can handle deeply serious themes. That potential was further illustrated in 2008 when Ari Folman used animation to express the traumatic impact of being part of the Israeli army that had invaded Lebanon in 1982 – that film being Waltz with Bashir. With Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee we have a work that worthily builds on this foundation portraying poignantly the experiences of a young refugee from Afghanistan. From time to time Rasmussen does insert standard archive footage relevant to the events depicted, but for most of the time Flee stands as a marvellous example of how well animation can capture and express a human tragedy.
We are told at the outset that names and locations have been altered where necessary to protect those involved but, whether or not certain details have been dramatised for the screen, this is presented as a true story. It tells of an Afghan man, here called Amin Nawabi, whose father disappeared and whose family were persecuted following the Afghan Civil War of 1978. Talking here to the film’s director, Amin discloses, hesitantly at first, his past history touching on childhood and then discussing his flight with other family members to Moscow. Subsequently various attempts to join an older brother resident in Sweden would be made in the only way open to them which was by saving up the money required and trusting in traffickers. However, it is only late on in his discussions with the director that Amin feels free to be entirely honest about his history.
One aspect of Amin's life which he had not disclosed to his family emerges early in the film, namely the fact that he is gay. This leads Rasmussen to blend the interview footage (itself portrayed through animation) with scenes depicting Amin's relationship with his lover, Kasper. Even so, the main narrative consists of illustrations of the earlier history which Amin is revealing during their talks (sometimes the words heard are those of Amin in the interview; at other times there is actual dialogue in the scenes being recalled). This movement back-and-forth in time can occasionally be confusing (for example, there is talk of Amin having been in America and for a while one wonders how that fits in with the rest of his story).
But that's a minor concern. Details that might have distracted (the inclusion of actuality footage; contrasted styles of animation) prove to be no hindrance at all. The animated faces are wonderfully expressive, the drama vivid and Flee counts as a remarkable example of the extent to which animated works can be so compelling that the viewer fully believes in what is being shown and thus becomes emotionally engaged. Indeed, it could even be said that the novelty of this mode when handled this well brings a fresh impact to a tale like this and makes it even more effective than other films about modern day refugees offered in a more standard form. Furthermore, the timing is such that the tragedy of lives lost in the English Channel just a few months ago brings a special poignancy to a sea scene included here which portrays a desperate crossing of the Baltic Sea. Flee is a deeply moving film telling one particular story but reflecting so many others in the process.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Voices Daniel Karimyar, Fardin Mijdzadeh, Milad Eskandari, Belal Faiz, Elaha Faiz, Sadia Faiz, Zahra Mehrwarz, Georg Jagunov, Rashid Aitouganov, Mikhail Belinson.
Dir Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Pro Signe Byrne Sørensen, Monica Hellstrøm and Charlotte de la Gournerie, Ex Pro Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Screenplay Jonas Poher Rasmussen and Amin Nawabi, Art Dir Jess Nicholls, Ed Janus Billeskov Jansen, Music Uno Helmersson, Animation Dir Kenneth Ladekjær.
Cinephil/Sun Creative/Left Handed Films/Ryot Films/Final Cut for Real/Vice Studio-Curzon.
89 mins. Denmark/France/Sweden/Norway/The Netherlands/USA/UK/Finland/Italy/Spain/Slovenia. 2021. US Rel: 3 December 2021. UK Rel: 11 February 2022. Cert. 15.
