Zee Special Projects release Oscar-nominated docudrama on Afghan refugees

Oscar-nominated docudrama about the Afghan refugee crisis, Flee, is getting an OTT release on Zee5 as part of the Zee Special Projects. Based on a true story, the film tells the story of Amin Nawabi, an academic refugee in Denmark.

The 90-minute animated documentary was nominated in three categories at the 94th Academy Awards - Best Documentary Feature, Best Animated Feature Film, and the Best International Feature Film. British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed has narrated the English version released on Zee5.

The docudrama tells Nawabi's memories of being a child refugee from Afghanistan. The plight of those who are forced to flee their homes amid war is the focus.

Shailja Kejriwal, Chief Creative Officer of Special Projects at ZEE5, says she is driven by the most untold and fresh stories with perspectives audiences haven't seen before. "Flee is one such film, and it gives voice to the millions who suffer because of political chaos".

Director Jonas Poher Rasmussen called Flee a universal movie because while the story is about the physical fight of going from Afghanistan to Denmark, it is more about a person looking for a place in the world where he can be who he is with everything that entails. He added that being a refugee is not an identity but something that happens to a person. "But it does not define them".

Ms Kejriwal said the central character of Flee unveils a feeling of otherness, void, and trauma that migrants go through. "It is a creatively bold and gripping story about humankind".

Rasmussen is hoping that an OTT release will ensure that the story of refugees gets a wider reach. He thinks that everyone can relate to the true meaning of home. "Flee is ultimately about the true meaning of home". Director Rasmussen was born in Denmark and co-wrote the docudrama with Amin Nawabi.