Flee 2021

Amin Nawabi sits down for an interview in Denmark with director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, who has known him since their teenage years. Jonas embarks on a documentary to explore Amin’s profound journey, shedding light on his escape from Afghanistan and seeking refuge in Denmark. Despite his close relationship with his boyfriend Kasper, whom he plans to marry, Amin has never fully divulged the details of his past. This suppression of his experiences lingers, haunting his ability to commit fully to a new life. An opportunity arises for him to work as a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University, potentially taking him away from Kasper.

Amin reminisces about his early life in Kabul, surrounded by his beloved mother Tahera, sisters Fahima and Sabia, and older brother Saif. Their father, a victim of political oppression tied to the Soviet-Afghan War, has long been absent after being imprisoned. Saif lives in a state of constant fear, frequently evading local authorities who seek to draft him into warfare. The family’s fate changes when they flee Kabul amid fears of a mujahideen invasion following the Soviet withdrawal. They find temporary refuge in Russia, reuniting with Amin’s oldest brother Abbas, who had escaped to Sweden. Abbas arranges for human traffickers to help the family reach Sweden, but not without struggles. During their wait, the family faces numerous challenges, including being confined indoors due to their illegal status. In a shocking move, Amin’s sisters are smuggled away first, hidden inside freight containers among many other refugees. Though they survive, the trauma of such an ordeal weighs heavily on them.

Upon discussing with Jonas, Amin acknowledges the survival of his siblings in Sweden, a revelation that surprises the filmmaker, who had thought Amin alone had evaded tragedy. Amin’s reasons for concealing the truth are rooted in a fear of being deported back to Afghanistan after claiming to be an orphaned refugee. This fear extends to his current life with Kasper, where they explore homes together. However, Kasper’s concerns about Amin’s tendency to remain unsettled linger.

Flashbacks reveal that during their escape from Russia, Amin, Saif, and Tahera faced dangerous circumstances while fleeing by truck alongside other refugees. Their boat journey to Sweden across the Baltic Sea turns perilous when the vessel’s engine fails, leaving them adrift for several days until discovered by a Norwegian cruise ship. This leads to a further setback, as they are held captive in Estonia for six months before being forced back to Russia.

In the present, an argument arises when Amin chooses to accept the Princeton position, leading him to stay temporarily at Jonas’s home. Back in the past, a harrowing ordeal ensues as Tahera falls ill after their return to Russia, and Saif takes charge, deploying risky means to ensure Amin’s escape. Given an ultimatum, Amin survives the dangerous journey, ending up in Copenhagen instead of Sweden, where he must again mask his family’s survival from authorities to gain refugee status. Over the years, he finds the courage to reconnect with Abbas and his sisters in Stockholm. After disclosing his sexuality to them, Abbas reveals that the family always had an understanding of Amin’s identity.

Returning to the present, Jonas visits Amin in New York City, where the two reflect on the lifetime challenges of feeling perpetually on edge. Ultimately, Amin returns to Denmark, where he reconciles with Kasper, leading to their marriage and the purchase of their first home together just four months later.

In a moving epilogue, it becomes clear that Amin’s brother and mother managed to escape from Russia, while the fate of their father remains chillingly uncertain.