Flee

"A unique escape from the prison of buried memory." —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

"At once emotionally engaging and stylistically adventurous..." —Mark Kermode, The Guardian

Flee is an extraordinary true story of a man, Amin, on the verge of marriage which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time. A secret he has been hiding for over twenty years threatens to ruin the life he has built for himself. He recounts his dramatic journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan to Denmark. Told mostly through animation, Flee weaves together a stunning tapestry of images and memories to tell the deeply affecting and original story of a young man grappling with his traumatic past in order to find his true self and the meaning of home.

Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen met his friend Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym) in the 90s when Amin moved to the small town where Jonas grew up. He first encountered the well-dressed newcomer on a local train when they were middle school students. Without knowing the full scope of Amin’s backstory, Jonas saw an Afghani immigrant who acclimated well to Denmark through a strong work ethic and great social skills. Unaware until much later that his friend’s journey to adulthood was an extraordinary story like no other. 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.

As Denmark’s official entry at the 94th Academy Awards, Flee received nominations in three categories: Best Picture, International Feature Film, and Best Documentary Feature. The film made history as the first film to receive nominations across those categories.

Join us for our annual showcase of the best films released last year. This is your opportunity to watch several of the nominees and winners from the 94th Academy Awards on the big screen.

Check out the rest of our Oscar Week 2022 program!