Guy van Egmond (He/Him)
Flee
Flee is the kind of film that quietly and gently leaves you shattered, in the best way possible.
Built on a foundation of interviews between director Jonas Poher Rasmussen and his friend, Amin Nawabi, the film sits beautifully in the crossover between narrative and documentary, mixing harsh newsreel clips with hand- drawn animations that are vibrant and soft. And crucial. We never see Amin’s real face, nor hear his real name.
Amin fled from Kabul when the mujahideen invaded and, after many years and failed attempts, was smuggled into Copenhagen under the guise of an orphaned refugee. Revealing his identity now would bring his world crumbling down all over again.
However, on the cusp of proposal to his boyfriend Kasper, Amin finds a closure and peace, sharing his story in a film that is tender and moving, and ultimately focused on a brighter future.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
The last few years have seen a major uptick in beautiful and heart-wrenching immigrant films. But few so successful—and so strange—as Everything Everywhere All At Once.
If you haven’t seen this multi-dimensional, time-skipping, emotional epic, you’re missing out. Get some friends and some gummies together and strap in. It’s wild and silly and the most incredible fun, but overarching all the bagels and butt-plugs is a story of familial struggle and connection. What might have been if we’d never left? Why won’t my children understand? Why won’t my parents listen?
The cast of this film does a truly incredible job, especially Michelle Yoeh and Ke Huy Quan. You’ll laugh, you’ll sob violently, you’ll desperately need a hug from your mother.
Past Lives
Another one for the ‘you haven’t seen it?!’ list, is last year’s Past Lives. This is a truly stunning tearjerker, a gentle watch that comes in under the 2-hour mark. The film plays so well with the parts of us that never quite left where we came from, that little voice that yearns to go back, that asks ‘yes, but what if..?’
Greta Lee and Teo Yoo are captivating as Na Young and Hae Sung, childhood sweethearts and rivals until Na Young moves to Toronto, changing her name to Nora. Twelve years later, the two reconnect via Facebook and Skype, but career ambitions cause them to lose touch again. Another twelve years later, sees Hae Sung coming to New York to visit Nora and her husband.
Writer-director Celine Song’s debut is sharp and semi-autobiographical: a bittersweet tale about fate, In-Yun, and possibility. It’s about the people who tie you to wherever home may be, and how love can change over time and place.
Walk Run Cha-Cha
In a slightly shorter format, Run Walk Cha-Cha is an incredibly sweet op-doc about Paul and Millie Cao, whose young love affair was broken apart by the Vietnam War. Reuniting in California, the two reinvent themselves and their relationship through dance. Director Laura Nix deliberately doesn’t dwell in the past; she moves forward to celebrate the beauty and joy, as well as the responsibility, of the lives that Paul and Millie have rebuilt for themselves. It's a delightful little film, where the camera lets you just sit in on the lives of two beautiful people. It’s 20 minutes long, it’s on Youtube, go check it out.
Honourable Mentions:
The Godfather: Part II: The classic immigrant success story, following Vito Corleone’s arrival in the USA to make a better life for himself and ultimately provide a safe and successful haven for his family and friends.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa: A chronicle of Alex’s troubled reconnection with the culture and people of his homeland: a world he’d forgotten but was always buried deep within.
Paddington: Our favourite marmalade-touting migrant, hands-down. ‘Nuf said, really.
Upcoming:
Finally, it’d be remiss of me not to mention one of the best annual opportunities to bear witness to political and artistic cinema from around the world: The NZIFF.
The program this year has another shattering lineup: in particular, I’d like to see Green Border, a biting and bitter look at the border crisis between Poland and Belarus; as well as Problemista, an absurdist-leaning satire of the American immigration system. Other relevant titles are To A Land Unknown, The Story of Souleymane, Viet and Nam and Didi, as well as a panel discussion on August 6th: Refugee Journeys On-Screen. Info and tickets on the NZIFF website!