I feel like we all recognize the word “immigrants” more than “refugees”. We are less familiar to the stories of refugees because not many, like Amin Nawabi, can open up and recall on their experiences. It is not something that most people can relate with or empathize with. We always read about or watch documentaries of history but never realizing how appalling it can actually be especially for the people at the time.
In Flee, Nawabi opens by lying comfortably down on a mat, closing his eyes, and taking himself with the viewers alongside back in his memories. It starts with young Nawabi running home with “Take on Me” by a-ha playing in his headphones. He says how he only remembers seeing his mother in grey hair, wishing to be able to see his mother when she was younger. He also remembers his siblings sitting in the yard telling stories of their father. When Ramussen asked about his father, it was too hard for Nawabi to continue as he says that he is not ready yet. Throughout this documentary, Ramussen makes it clear that Nawabi has trouble coming forward and sharing his story, even to his partner which has troubled him for a while, because he is afraid of his loved ones using his most vulnerable experiences to hurt him.
One scene that left me an impression was when Nawabi and his brother left their apartment in Russia and went outside. At the new Moscow McDonald’s opening event, the two brothers were caught by police and search for money to compensate for not having papers but since they just came out to see what was happening, they didn’t have any money on them only the watch that his father left behind, so they were taken into the police car. Inside, there was another refugee girl who was also caught and didn’t have any money so the police thought she would compensate a different way. But later, the two brothers were kicked off the car and the police entered the car assaulting the girl. Nawabi regrets for not standing up for the girl at the time, knowing how scared and helpless she would have been. This scene makes me wonder if I were in his place, what would I have done? Or maybe if I was the girl, how much despair would I be in that situation? It ultimately comes to do I save myself or others?
Touching up on Ramussen’s approach to telling Nawabi’s story, everything was put together in a way that is intriguing yet touching. I feel that he very attentive when it comes to details and is very patient with getting this out. He accurately portrays the blurriness of Nawabi’s memories but also finds real documentaries of the events at that time. He also switches between the scenes of Nawabi’s past and how its affect on his present life. He portrays the life that we don’t live and one we will probably never experience. The story of a refugee.
I agree with this, Ramussen is able to tell Nawabi’s story so well and through using a verbatim experience, we’re shown a life that we would never think about going through. We are shown Nawabi’s pain and his real life emotions to finally talking about what happened to him, even though its anonymous. He still lives in fear for what could happen to him because of what he went through for most of his life. Through Ramussens animation style and artistic choices, we get a sense of how Nawabi feels and how damaging this was.
The scene was really heartbreaking and the pain he had for not able to do anything for her. He knows that if he protests they will kill him and he knows about his situation. But the guilt is there with him always. And maybe if I in this situation I won’t be able to do anything too.
I really like how you started off your paragraphs. The comparison between immigrants and refugees provided a good segue in connecting the reader to the writing. I also like how you mentioned the questions about what you what have done if you were put in that situation. It brought a deeper level of thought to that scene.