Riz Ahmed Gets Animated With The Stunning Documentary, “Flee”
Activist, singer-songwriter, and award-winning actor, Riz Ahmed has taken on another challenge, animation! Along with Nikolai Coster-Waldau, Ahmed has voiced the English version of a Danish animated documentary titled, “Flee.” The documentary was directed by Poher Rasmussen and premiered at Sundance Film Festival this year on January 28th and took home the Grand Jury Prize.
“Flee” documents the true story of Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym) a child refugee from Afghanistan. Nawabi recounts his childhood and reveals the secrets he’s held in his heart for 20 years as he is on the verge of building a life with his soon-to-be husband. This story of heartbreak, fear and the loss of innocence will wring your heart and leave knots in your stomach. It’s described as flawless, stunning, unique, and incredibly intimate. To have such a powerful story portrayed through animation is most definitely a unique feat.
Ahmed and Coster-Waldau not only star in this touching film but are also executive producers of the documentary. The North American rights of the film were bought by Neon. Watch the trailer here.
In other news about Riz Ahmed, the trailer of “Mogul Mowgli” also dropped recently and if you thought Ahmed battling a degenerative disease during the rise of his music career in “The Sound of Metal” wasn’t enough, this trailer offers up a similar narrative that continues his award-winning streak.
Directed by Bassam Tariq, “Mogul Mowgli” features Ahmed’s first co-writing credit on a feature film, and finally showcases his rap abilities that will remind audiences of his powerful music career. “Mogul Mowgli” first premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020, and is finally opening in US theaters later this year.
The trailer is sure to advertise Ahmed’s rap performances, as well as his and the character’s connections to Pakistan and his Muslim identity. The lyrics of his raps in the film are politicized, echoing his own roots from his previous satirical social-commentary music numbers. With a writing credit on the film, Ahmed drew from some of the elements from his own life for “Mogul Mowgli.” Additional cast members include Aiysha Hart, Alyy Khan, Sudha Bhuchar, Nabhaan Rizwan, and Anjana Vasan.
