While watching the movie “Flee” by Jonas Pohar Ramussen, it made me realize how the refugee has been through many circumstances, and it was moving to see that we didn’t actually experience those challenges in our lives. The movie introduces the audience to Amin’s world by utilizing animation to depict the pain he has experienced and some real video to depict his struggles, anxieties, and goals. This film brought to mind one of my all-time favorite books, “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, which details the horrific experiences the book’s characters went through while residing in Afghanistan. And how they eventually left the country in order to live better in the USA. Amin and Amir are related in that they both have a fear of living and have been labeled as refugees.
Amin took us back to his early recollections by closing his eyes, and the fact that he also lied about his family’s survival suggests that the dread is still present between them. It also demonstrates the challenges faced by refugees, who must contend with social standards in order to live better. Amin’s persona becomes more realistic, and it sends a message to viewers who may not be aware of how refugees manage to live and go above and beyond to save their loved ones. As Amin describes his family’s experiences during their flight from Afghanistan, their struggles in Russia, and their perilous passage across the Baltic Sea, he conveys a powerful message to the audience. The film humanizes migrants by showing them to be unique people with unique stories and dreams as opposed to numbers or faceless masses.
When Amin and his family were crossing the water and they spotted a large ship, everyone became enthused because they believed the people on board would assist them and provide them with shelter. It’s actually a fantastic illustration of capitalism because it’s clear that the people were in need of assistance, but instead of assisting them, the onlookers were snapping photos and calling the border patrol. Because the migrants are attempting to leave their current reality and start over in a better place, it is clear that the rich people are in a higher social class than the poor ones. They had little reason to believe, but when they heard the words “They will take you back,” all of their smiles vanished. They gave the traffickers a ton of money, but ultimately received nothing. They are returning to their original location. These heartbreaking moments made them feel as though every aspect of their lives had just been shattered.
Amin lacked the courage to speak the truth to anyone, but at the end of the film, he was more accepting of his emotions. I shed a few tears when the movie was over, since it had such an impact on me. I developed more compassion for refugees. It served as a timely reminder that refugees are human beings with ambitions, dreams, and an indomitable spirit, rather than objective statistics. It gives the refugee experience a personal touch and expresses it in a way that is memorable.
I also find this event so ironic. The people on that large ship are the people that the refugees dream to be. It is so sad that the refugees paid so much money and overcame so many challenges just to end up with nothing and get sent back. I think this scene is very realistic because many people overlook refugees’ cries for help, assuming that they will receive help from authority figures like the police.
This scene really broke me, because some people has higher status and other people are struggling to live.
I love Khaled Hosseini’s works as well! I’ve read “A Thousand Splendid Sun’s” and “And the Mountains Echoed,” both of which I highly recommend if you haven’t read them already. His work and the documentary really capture the struggles of being a refugee and not having a permanent home. It makes us realize how lucky we are to be living here without having to go through what Amin and millions of people went through for a chance at a better life.
I read those two books and I loved it. He is one of my favorite writer and I cried a lot while reading the books.
I agree with you in that the film humanizes migrants. Like you mentioned, the media today often refers to refugees as a number. Many people mention how much of a burden refugees are because there’s limited land and resources in the country; however, people fail to realize how hard the refugees had it before reaching somewhere safe. For example, Amin’s family were harassed by the Russian officers on a daily basis, and his sisters had to travel treacherous waters while remaining compact in a cart with other refugees. These stories help humanize refugees, and emphasize why we should be giving them a hand instead of interrogation.