Flee

A semi-documentary about the journey of Amin, who fled from Afghanistan.

First of all, I was surprised to see a documentary with animation style intermingled with real footages and sceneries. This style worked incredibly well because not only did it protect the identity of Amin, but also allow for beautiful visual crafting that elevated the emotion of Amin. Since Amin was mostly calm in his voice, the animation and footages helped conveying the stake and danger of the situation.

The story itself was harrowing yet compelling. I love how the story revolved around family from beginning to end. As a person who came from a family of immigrants, family is always an important theme. Because of that, Amin's testimony did hit it home.

Overall, an incredible story. 8/10.

A far too familiar tale of persecution and corruption, as Amin generously reveals the trials and torments that saw him and his family flee Kabul because of victimisation, alongside his personal story that saw him make a life in Denmark and how he's been able to live his life the way he wishes, with who he wants - heart wrenching stuff indeed.

Jonas Rasmussen's animated Documentary is an ultimately rewarding docu-drama concerning a young man, Amin, who's life was upended when the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan collapsed and his native country was plunged into civil war. He is living in Denmark as the Documentary takes place.

Rasmussen has created a complex telling of the tale. Most of the movie is animated, but there is significant newsreel footage as well - mixed-media may be a more accurate description than pure animation*. Further, the movie begins as an interview of the now 30-something Amin, but blends in recreations of his life story with 'behind the scenes' (animated) footage of the Documentary's progress. Add, in the stock footage and it's a heady construct. Fortunately, it all works, and creates some suspense since the story-telling isn't fully linear.

At it's core, FLEE is a survival tale. Amin and his family escape Afghanistan only to end up in Russia where they once again have to run away in order to seek true freedom. The title has a dual meaning - both the physical act and a psychological one. It i the latter definition where Rasmussen excels in depicting how Amin's struggles have affected his emotional well-being and personal relationships. It's a difficult movie to watch at times, but, it is extremely well done accomplishment whatever the form.

* Some have mistakenly termed FLEE the first animated Documentary. There are others including the exceptional WALTZ WITH BASHIR which was nominated for Best Foreign Film in 2009. BASHIR also was set in the Middle East and included a bit of real documentary filmed footage (although significantly less than in FLEE)

At this point it's going to be so hard to top Flee. It tells the extraordinary true story of a man, Amin, on the verge of marriage which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time. Rather than a typical documentary style, it goes for an animated approach in the for of mockumentary. Never does it feel like a documentary which is extraordinary. The animation is simplistic yet looks so dynamic. It also blends archive footage to remind us the realness of it all. The story is tragic and amazing. We're told of Amin's experience fleeing country to country in hopes for a better life. It's a thrilling ride from start to finish. I'm not sure how anyone couldn't like it. This is the best of the festival and one of the best of the year!

The partially animated documentary-story of a man who secretly escaped Afghanistan as a child.

I enjoyed this film more than I thought it would, and I am so happy to find that animation can succeed in this form of storytelling. Though the animation can be quite limited at times, it is more than adept and able to communicate the raw emotion behind many of the stories, maybe even more so than it's real-life counterparts could.

It is a film almost everyone should watch - just to see life through another person's eyes.