The documentary Flee directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen, and executive produced by Riz Ahmed along with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, which made its debut on opening night of Sundance Film Festival in the World Documentary Competition was acquired by Neon for release in the U.S.
In an overnight bidding war on the opening night of the Sundance Film Festival the film sold for an undisclosed 7 figure sum.
Flee, a film unbound by documentary constraints and swept up in an astonishing array of archive footage, ’80s pop music, and a hand-drawn craft that brings audiences directly into the experience of a teen fleeing multiple countries – and the psychological impact on how he loves, trusts, and understands his burgeoning identity. Rasmussen weaves together a stunning tapestry of images in a triumph of storytelling and filmmaking ingenuity to tell a deeply affecting story of a man grappling with his traumatic past in order to find his true self and the real meaning of home.
The film tells the story of Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym) as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon to be husband. Recounted mostly through animation to director Jonas Poher Rasmussen – his close friend and high-school classmate, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan. Through heartfelt interviews between Jonas and Amin, Flee tells an unforgettable story of self-discovery.
“Very excited to work with groundbreaking distributors Neon on getting Flee out. Their roster of titles include a vast amount of my favorite films from the last couple of years and I’m extremely proud to now include my own work on that list.” Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Executive Producer Riz Ahmed said “I was floored by the emotional impact of Flee. This is a unique project that pushes forward our ideas of what documentary, animation, and refugee-centered narratives can be. I’m proud to help bring this project to life for English speaking audiences,”
Jonas Poher Ramussen is a Danish/French film director born in 1981. He debuted in 2006 with the acclaimed TV documentary Something About Halfdan, followed by a series of radio documentaries from around the world. He graduated from the Danish film school Super16 in 2010. His feature film debut Searching for Bill, a mix of documentary and fiction, won him the Nordic Dox award at CPH:DOX, and the international competition prize at DocAviv.n In November 2015 he premiered his latest documentary What He Did, which won the prestigious Fipresci (Int. Federation of Film Critics) at Thessaloniki Film Fest. 2016.