Tuesday evening the Danish animated documentary 'Flee' received the Nordic Council Film Prize 2021. The Nordic honour was handed out in Copenhagen in connection with the Nordic Council's Autumn Session.
The award is shared between director and screenwriter Jonas Poher Rasmussen, screenwriter 'Amin', the film's anonymous protagonist, and producers Monica Hellström and Signe Byrge Sørensen of Final Cut for Real and Charlotte de la Gournerie of Sun Creature.
"Necessary, relevant and touching story"
As part of their motivation, the Nordic jury states:
"It is not often that aesthetic, political and humane dimensions combine in a such sublime and artistic piece of film as in 'Flee'."
"We find that 'Flee' tells a necessary, relevant and touching story about how all people, regardless of their ethnicity, background, age or sexual orientation, have the right to a happy childhood and a safe place to call home. The film was created before many people in Afghanistan recently had to flee from civil war and its relevance has only increased in the wake of these events. But the director manages to not become self-pitying or sentimental in their way of storytelling."
Danish Oscar candidate
'Flee' is Denmark's entry for the 2022 Academy Awards. Its successful run of prestigious festivals so far includes Cannes, Sundance, Annecy, Telluride and Toronto.
The four other Nordic Council Film Prize nominees were 'Any Day Now' by Hamy Ramezan (Finland), 'Alma' by Kristín Jóhannesdóttir (Iceland), 'Gunda' by Victor Kossakovsky (Norway) and 'Tigers' by Ronnie Sandahl (Sweden).
The Nordic Council Film Prize was first given in 2002. 'Flee' marks the seventh time the award has been presented to a Danish film. Previous Danish winners are 'Queen of Hearts' (2019), 'The Hunt' and 'Submarino' by Thomas Vinterberg (2013 and 2010), 'Antichrist' by Lars von Trier (2009), 'The Art of Crying' by Peter Schønau Fog (2007) and 'Manslaughter' by Per Fly (2005).
