Flee
An Afghan refugee’s animated confession transforms buried trauma, queer identity, and exile into a moving act of self-reclamation.
Overview
A powerful animated documentary that reveals the hidden struggles of a refugee confronting his past.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- intimate
- harrowing
- serious documentary night
- human rights film program
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a formally inventive and deeply moving animated documentary that expands the possibilities of memoir and refugee storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Amin's personal account is presented through hand-drawn animation that conceals his identity while visualizing memories and trauma.
Adult Amin shares his history with Jonas, moving from his current life toward memories of childhood, flight, and displacement.
Amin's Afghan childhood, escape to Denmark, academic life, and relationship are shaped by the need to rebuild a self in exile.
Amin's hidden past and his decision to finally tell Jonas drive the documentary's emotional structure.
Films like Flee, and why
Waltz with Bashir
animated documentary form, intimate trauma testimony, and emotionally direct refugee narrative
Stories We Tell
memoir-driven documentary storytelling, displacement, sexuality, and confrontational self-discovery
The Missing Picture
refugee experience, war trauma, and compassionate testimony shaped through innovative documentary form
Moonlight
lgbtq identity, personal secrecy, and emotionally layered autobiographical storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Jonas Poher Rasmussen
- Release Date
- 2021-06-17
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (415)
Cast
- Amin Nawabi
- Daniel Karimyar
- Fardin Mijdzadeh
- Milad Eskandari
- Belal Faiz
- Elaha Faiz
- Zahra Mehrwarz
- Sadia Faiz
- Georg Jagunov
- Rashid Aitouganov
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Flee about?
- An Afghan refugee’s animated confession transforms buried trauma, queer identity, and exile into a moving act of self-reclamation.
- What is Flee like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Flee as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Flee violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Flee as moderate.
- What did critics think of Flee?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a formally inventive and deeply moving animated documentary that expands the possibilities of memoir and refugee storytelling.
- Which films are like Flee?
- Films with a similar feel include Waltz with Bashir, Stories We Tell, The Missing Picture, and Moonlight.
- How long is Flee?
- Flee runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch Flee?
- In United States, Flee is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
