Flee

"A rich, seamlessly told and emotionally affecting story"

— Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press

"The animation here is used for such expressionistic beauty."

— Amy Nicholson, FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

"A triumph, not only of the filmed variety but a human one, as well."

— Adam Graham, Detroit News

"To say it’s a stellar feat of cinema is something of an understatement."

— Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist

"In sharing his story with the world, Amin and Rasmussen have given us a truly generous gift."

— Josh Kupecki, Austin Chronicle

"Innovative doc filmmaking. Impressive visuals. A very personal and harrowing story laid bare."

— Dwight Brown, National Newspaper Publishers Association

"It's a powerful and poetic memoir of personal struggle and self-discovery that expands the definition of documentary."

— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

"Beautifully animated to protect the identity of the main subject, Rasmussen's film examines the lengths we will go to in order to survive and protect those we love."

— Josh Flanders, Chicago Reader

"Thanks to his courage and Rasmussen’s compassion and creativity, 'Flee' morphs from a tale of dispossession to a testament to the power of narrative — to overtake a life, and to liberate it."

— Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

"Blurring traditional boundaries of documentary with rich, beautiful animation in many shades and colours, the Danish director has a great deal invested in telling this story."

— Matthew Anderson, CineVue

"Flee becomes his cinematic catharsis, as Amin recounts his journey in fits and starts, while the animation turns his memories into a bracing adventure that doubles as modern history."

— Eric Kohn, IndieWire

"By the end, it seems telling his story — saying it out loud in a safe space, at last — may have helped Amin heal a bit more. Perhaps sharing it with audiences opens the same space for others, too."

— Alissa Wilkinson, Vox

"The year’s most indelibly inventive animated adventure mixes graphic design with documentary realism and puts hallucinatory brilliance at the service of understanding the continuing psychic damage of war. You’ll never forget it."

— Peter Travers, ABC News

"It's a story about family and preservation, but more than that, Flee is a testament to the broken social systems that allow families to fall through the cracks, leaving them desperate — and as a result of that desperation, vulnerable."

— Sarah Bea Milner, Screen Rant

"Throughout, Rasmussen never loses focus on the humanity. He’s telling the story, not of a refugee, but of a fellow human being whom he knows personally. The rapport between the two, the quiet honesty with which Amin speaks and the respectful and obviously deeply affectionate way in which Rasmussen tells the story, makes this film something special."

— Karen Gordon, Original-Cin

"An unfortunately timely film, Flee uses animation primarily to sharpen the dangerous edges of its refugee story, and to capture the devastating physical and emotional toll of never-ending war. But in brief moments, the film acts as a spiritual balm, offering hints and possibilities of a world where Nawabi might one day be able to fully share himself with other people."

— Siddhant Adlakha, Observer