“Flee” is one of those films you see one time, right.

And it stays with you.

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It lingers for weeks, and you can recall almost every moment.

 

It’s a piece of art that alters your perspective for the better.

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I’ve been stewing for weeks about this. An animated documentary about a human who had to lie his way to safety for decades.

 

He’s lied about his life for the majority of his life.

To live.

He hid everything about himself from everyone he loves.

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He trusted no one.

And when he tried to, his trust was weaponized against him.

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I thought I knew how to define words like “home,” “trust,” “safety,” “friend,” and “love.”

“Flee” helped me realize that I have no idea how to explain the true meanings of those words.

 

 

A brilliantly enthralling piece.

Animation that sinks you into the drama and refuses not to hide the mundane and the minute.

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It has been difficult to articulate how much this film affected me.

I didn’t think I could even get these words out.

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I wish I could say more about it, but I encourage those who can access this work to dive deep.

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The archival footage of Afghanistan and Russia provided great context to an immaculate animated tapestry.

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The still moments when Amin looks out of a window…

The small details of him lowering his voice and the animators capturing his idiosyncrasies while telling his story were the best parts about why this film is so effectual.

It gets granular even when it didn’t need to.