Author: arindam01

In Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s film, Flee Amin Nawabi’s story personalizes and puts into perspective the plight of refugees, especially those fleeing the Afghan-Soviet War. Through both the stylistic choices made by Rasmussen and the personalized story of Amin Nawabi, Flee offers insights into the disconsolate emotions of refugees as they endure the hardships of trying to feel safe. Over the course of the film, Amin Nawabi is asked to recall his story as a little boy fleeing the war-torn capital of Kabul, in which his circumstances become increasingly strenuous.

Initially, Nawabi comes off as courageous and intelligent, yet as the film progresses, we get more insight into his grit and determination, one that never quits in his pursuit of a better life. In many ways, Nawabi’s experiences give the audience more perspective on the challenges faced by Refugees as we gain insight into his thinking and the emotional turmoil he faces especially as a gay man fleeing Afghanistan. In the turbulent time in which the story takes place, Nawabi’s story also encapsulates his loss of childhood, giving more perspective to the hardships faced by refugees.

Although all parts of Rasmussen’s film evoked my emotions, I’d say I was most moved by the sequence in which Nawabi was fleeing Russia towards Sweden by Boat. In this scene, Nawabi’s mother is seen clearly struggling due to her seasickness. Although the refugees are offered a semblance of hope from an oncoming Norweigan ship, it is later revealed that the crew onboard the ship reported them to the Estonian police, sending them back to Russia to be jailed. Through this sequence of events, we gain insight into how Amin Nawabi feels being a refugee, saying that he feels embarrassed regarding his circumstances. For me, Nawabi’s emotions moved me in the sense that they humanized him even more. Instead of worrying about the potential of escaping Russia, he was more worried about how he was perceived as if he had no agency and was at the mercy of those on that boat. Although it’s easy to describe the quantity of Refugees, it’s incredibly difficult to pay homage to their exigent journies.

Photographs as defined by Susan Sontag in her essay, “On Photography” enlarges what is worth looking at and what we have a right to see. Through a photographic medium, the intrinsic meaning of images is left up to the interpretation of the audience, allowing them to uncover what a photograph reveals. I believe that through a photographic medium, nuances of the environment and the circumstances surrounding the period in which the photograph is taken are revealed, painting a larger picture of the challenges faced by society during their respective periods. As alluded to by Sontag, the 1930s consisted of photographers who photographed a pressing issue during their time period: Sharecropping. To do so, they would take pictures of “the precise expression on the subject’s face that supported their own notions about poverty, light, dignity, texture, exploitation, and geometry” (Sontag 4) therefore choosing to push forward the struggles of sharecroppers through a visual medium.

Furthermore, on a sociological level, photography reveals challenges faced by society through its representation of circumstances surrounding interpersonal relationships and the way in which we act toward each other. Examples of these circumstances can be seen in Sontag’s analysis of the presence of photography within families, where she indicates “Not to take pictures of one’s children, particularly when they are small, is a sign of parental indifference, just as not turning up for one’s graduation picture is a gesture of adolescent rebellion” (Sontag 5). Photography, in this case, helps to give an overview of the circumstances within society by giving interpreters insight into interpersonal behavior.

Even through history, we can see the ramifications of photography as it pertains to drawing a greater societal picture. A perfect example is used by Sontag when she mentions the photography of the horrors of World War Two that serve as “ethical reference points” (Sontag 16) emotionally charging readers and drawing a larger picture of the challenges faced by society during times of war. In conclusion, photography helps to build on our knowledge of society, painting a picture that represents societal struggles as highlighted by the interpreter.