As the Crow Flies

Amadou grows up in Guinea Conakry, surrounded by domestic animals and the scent of the mango and lemon trees planted by his father. Colorful birds seem to be everywhere, and his best friend Abdoulaye lives just around the corner. Yet at the age of thirteen, Amadou has to leave all of this behind. His uncle wants to take him along with him to a foreign country where he’ll have a chance at a better education. At a young age, Amadou starts an unimaginable journey with no guarantee of a happy ending.

As the Crow Flies is a delicate and artistic film about migration. Animation complements Amadou’s memories, and yet leaves room to imagine more. Here, stereotypes and statistics are replaced by details of the journey seen through a teenager’s eyes. Amadou’s thoughts make his experience personal and relatable. The director combines live action and animation, with the transition between the two hardly noticeable. Throughout the film, the visuals flow effortlessly, like the colorful birds accompanying Amadou throughout his journey. And watching this film, we feel as if we were one of these birds, always close to him.

This film is also part of Current Future: Age suggestion 14+