The Good, The Bad and The Critic

Established on March 19th, 2012 and pioneered by film fanatic Michael J. Carlisle. The Good, The Bad and The Critic will analyze classic and contemporary films from all corners of the globe. This title references Sergei Leone's influential spaghetti western The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Flee (2021) Review

Title: Flee
Year: 2021
Director: Jonas Rassmussen
Country: Denmark
Language(s): Various


Having been born and raised in a peaceful country, the Great White North of Canada, it is fairly difficult for me to imagine what the refugee experience must be like. I sympathize with those people as I am always for any amount of refugees coming into the country, but I have to admit that it's hard to relate with them and/or know what their emotional needs are. Flee proved to be a very eye opening, soul searching experience in that regard. 

Flee is a documentary...sort of. It's about a man named Amin who needs to confront his past as a refugee from Afghanistan & recounts their survival as undocumented immigrants in Soviet Union era Russia. 

Crowned the grand jury winner at Sundance Film Festival, Flee is an animated documentary that recounts the unfilmable. Through audio testimony and a Waltz with Bashir style of art we are witness to the darkness of human trafficking, while also subject to the cathartic joy of finding love and friendship. Flee is an important film because the immigrant/refugee experience is rarely observed in such detail. Too often are we given a glossy Hollywood repaint of such trials and tribulations. 

The film is a sensitive and urgent testimony to the plight of refugees. It must be seen because it will evoke a tremendous amount of empathy in modern audiences. It's an honest and heartfelt portrayal that made me feel like I should be doing more for newcomers in Canada. If just the journey itself is that grueling, I can't imagine how assimilation must feel. 

Flee has an immense amount of heart; pouring with moments of grief as well as joy. Such a tender film deserves to be seen by a large amount of people. Perhaps this film will affect how politicians make laws in regard to citizenship. It will certainly win the Best Documentary Oscar. 



No comments:

Post a Comment