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(Flee • 2021 • Documentary/Animation ‧ 1h 30m Show times London, Sun
28 Nov, Genesis Cinema, 5,6 km·Whitechapel, 93-95 Mile End Road, LONDON E1 4UJ, United Kingdom, 17:40)
"Flee"
"Flee" tells the story of Amin Nawabi (Fardin Mijdzadeh), as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon Saif (Milad Eskandari) to be husband. It's the story of a extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.
Beginning with the death of his father in Kabul when he was a young child, and continuing in Moscow, when members of his family made several harrowing attempts to resettle in 'Western Europe', Amin’s childhood was defined by periods of waiting, hoping, and fleeing. Too much pain and heartbreak remained lodged beneath the surface, and he feared for both his own safety and that of his family, so they left the idea knowing that they would re-visit it when the time feels right.
Copenhagen in the 90s. We first encountered the well-dressed newcomer on a local train when he's a middle school students, He's an Afghani immigrant who acclimated well to Denmark through a strong work ethic and great social skills. With very few immigrants Amin (Milad Eskandari) stands out in the crowd. He arrives from Afghanistan all by himself and lives in a foster home, For at least half his life, Amin avoids telling anyone his story. He loves playing volleyball in Kabul, But then his life takes a drastic turn. He spent five years living on the run, before he finally arrived, all alone. The trauma associated with his childhood is creating distance between everyone in his life, not being able to share his full self had become a heavy burden for Amin. But he also wants to share his story to make people understand what it means to flee for your life,
"Flee" gives us new insights into the drastic consequences of fleeing home, especially as a child, like Amin. We've to understand the difficulties that children like them face, when their past and present are so disconnected. Why they tended to look ahead to the future, while keeping a safe distance from the people around them? What it’s like to have a deep secret that you cannot share with anyone, but which will always be a silent presence in that person’s relationships and in life in general? As for Amin, we realized that this feeling of displacement still is very present in him, even after all these years. It's the story of one man struggling to find the true definition and meaning of home. After many years, Amin finds it in the form of a loving partner Fahima (Elaha Faiz), a meaningful profession, and an actual home, in the Danish countryside. So many people in the world are looking for a place to call home, and Amin’s been trying to do that for his entire life.
In script form, the movie centers on a man looking back on the early years of his life, examining the traumatic events that shaped him as a young immigrant who went on to become a successful academic. Having repressed many of these memories, ones too painful to recall, the film uses animation styles that reflected his different states of mind. The bulk of "Flee" employs conventional 2D color animation to show true-to-life happenings in Amin’s past framed as vivid snapshots of his early years, the memories of what happened to him in life. Other sequences, in more graphic and abstract, correspond with traumatic events in his life that he struggles to recall, including harrowing scenes of his family fleeing Moscow as trafficked refugees.
Growing up in Afghanistan, it's always taught to be respectful, open-minded, and curious about the people around you, despite their past, political beliefs, or whatever else they might have stood for. Meeting people whoever they're and wherever they're in life is one of the main core approaches of the film. The goal is to make honest and real connections in a trusting environment. We've to understand their nuances and complexities, including the vulnerable or ugly sides, and even the most inhumane facets of their lives. The theme of flight and dislocation is especially important to us. In the process of telling these intimate stories, the film explores new ways and approaches to share the story. The film works with theater reenactments and fictional/documentary hybrids. "Flee" creates a compelling and inviting narrative in order to give testimonies to the platform they deserve. The film reaches out with a message to an adult platform, delivering on a level that’s accessible and vi1sually inspiring.
