On the Latvian animation, Flow

The Latvian animation Flow is a ground-breaking independent film that has disrupted high-profile, big-budget international productions with its visual storytelling techniques about survival, trust and collaboration. It has already won a Golden Globe and is up for two BAFTAs and two Oscars. It is a source of pride to most Latvians. Let me tell you more about this uniquely Latvian film.

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Transcript

On the Latvian animation ‘Flow’

The Latvian animation Flow is a ground-breaking independent film that has disrupted high-profile, big-budget international productions with its heartfelt story and use of visual storytelling techniques. It has already won a Golden Globe and is up for two BAFTAs and two Oscars. It is a source of pride to most Latvians. Let me tell you more about this uniquely Latvian film.

The story

The Latvian animated film Flow, directed by Gints Zilbalodis, tells a moving and visually stunning story of survival, transformation, and community in a world devastated by a cataclysmic flood. The narrative centres on an unnamed black cat with luminous amber eyes whose solitary existence is upended by the disaster. The film unfolds in a wordless format, relying on expressive body language and visual storytelling to convey its themes.

The story begins with the cat navigating a forest, where it outsmarts a pack of dogs to steal a fish. However, this moment of triumph is interrupted by a sudden, near-biblical flood that submerges the landscape. The cat narrowly survives by climbing atop a giant feline statue, but as the waters rise, it is forced to leap onto a passing sailboat piloted by a capybara. This marks the beginning of an extraordinary journey.

As the boat drifts through mystical, partially submerged landscapes marked by remnants of human civilisation, other animals join the makeshift crew. These include a ring-tailed lemur with a penchant for collecting trinkets, a yellow Labrador Retriever that abandons its pack to seek companionship and a secretarybird with injured wings. Each character brings unique traits and challenges to the group dynamic, forcing the initially aloof cat to adapt and learn to trust others.

The animals face numerous trials as they navigate this waterlogged world. They encounter hostile secretarybirds, endure storms, and even witness the haunting sight of a whale swimming through submerged ruins. Despite these challenges, the group gradually forms bonds of mutual reliance and empathy. The cat undergoes the most profound transformation, evolving from a self-reliant loner into a communal leader who helps guide and protect its companions.

The film’s climax sees the animals reaching a half-submerged city near towering stone pillars. Here, the cat learns to swim more adeptly and takes on responsibilities for feeding and safeguarding the group. A pivotal moment occurs when the secretarybird regains its ability to fly but chooses to leave the group in a spirit-like sequence involving a mysterious bright light.

The story concludes with the floodwaters receding dramatically due to geological shifts. The cat reunites with its companions in a forest now marked by new challenges but also hope. In one touching scene, they comfort a stranded whale before gazing at their reflections in a puddle—a symbolic nod to their collective growth and unity.

Flow is an adventure symbolic of overcoming isolation and embracing community in times of crisis. Its unique animation style—created using Blender, more on that later—emphasises fluid and natural animal behaviour. The film’s stunning visuals and subtle emotional depth make it an evocative experience for audiences of all ages. No words are spoken during the film; the visuals tell the story, making it suitable for audiences speaking any language.

What inspired the director?

Gints Zilbalodis was inspired to create the post-cataclysmic world of Flow without humans to focus on universal themes of survival, fear, and connection while avoiding the distractions of dialogue or explanations. The absence of humans allows the story to centre entirely on the animals and their interactions, making it a pure exploration of nature and instinct.

Zilbalodis has said that his storytelling approach often begins with characters and their relationships rather than a predefined message. For Flow, the idea originated from an earlier short film he created while 17 years old and at school, Aqua, which featured a cat navigating water—a natural conflict given cats’ typical aversion to it. Revisiting this concept, he expanded on the narrative by introducing other animals and exploring how their interactions could reflect themes of overcoming fears and building trust in a world shaped by natural forces rather than human intervention.

Aqua’s simplicity revolves around the primal conflict between the small, vulnerable cat and the vast, intimidating ocean. Zilbalodis chose a cat as the protagonist because its natural aversion to water provided an immediate emotional hook that required little explanation. The short film emphasised themes of fear and survival through minimalistic storytelling and was created using 2D animation tools like Toon Boom Animate Pro and Photoshop.

Zilbalodis described Aqua as a “rehearsal” for Flow, using it as a starting point to delve deeper into emotional and thematic territory. The flood in Flow serves as both a literal and metaphorical force, pushing the characters into situations where they must confront their fears and learn to coexist. Adding other animal characters—each with distinct personalities—enabled richer storytelling and humour, which were largely absent in the more introspective Aqua.

The evolution from Aqua to Flow also marked significant growth in Zilbalodis’ filmmaking style. While Aqua was created using 2D animation techniques, Flow employed 3D animation using Blender, allowing for more immersive environments and dynamic camera movements. Zilbalodis also incorporated long takes and complex visual sequences in Flow, inspired by his desire to create an experience akin to live-action filmmaking.

Additionally, while Aqua was a solo project completed during Zilbalodis’ teenage years, Flow was a collaborative effort involving an international team of animators and co-writer Matīss Kaža. This collaboration expanded the story’s scale and visual richness while retaining its core emotional resonance.

The transformation of Aqua into Flow reflects Zilbalodis’ journey as an artist. In both films, the central character mirrors his experiences—working alone on earlier projects like Away, then learning to collaborate on larger productions like Flow. This meta-narrative adds depth to the story’s themes of overcoming isolation and embracing community.

While Aqua laid the groundwork with its simple yet evocative premise, Flow built upon it to create a more ambitious narrative that explores fear, trust, and connection in a richly imagined post-apocalyptic world. The evolution underscores Zilbalodis’ growth as a filmmaker and his ability to adapt early ideas into profound cinematic experiences.

The decision to exclude humans also ties into Zilbalodis’ preference for visual storytelling. By removing dialogue and focusing solely on the animals’ behaviours, he aimed to create an immersive and emotionally resonant experience. He believes animation can convey emotions more effectively through movement, sound, and visuals rather than words, allowing viewers to engage actively with the story. Furthermore, the post-apocalyptic setting serves as a backdrop that invites reflection on humanity’s relationship with nature without being didactic or overly symbolic.

In essence, Zilbalodis crafted Flow as a meditative exploration of survival and solidarity in a world where nature takes centre stage, free from human interference. This creative choice aligns with his broader artistic philosophy of using constraints—such as dialogue-free narratives—to inspire originality and emotional depth. 

A dialogue-free approach

The dialogue-free approach in Flow significantly enhances its emotional impact by focusing on universal, non-verbal forms of communication such as movement, sound, and visual storytelling. This choice allows the film to transcend language barriers, engage audiences deeply and emotionally, and create a more immersive and meditative experience.

Without dialogue, Flow relies entirely on its animal characters' body language and behaviours to convey emotions and relationships. Each character’s unique traits—such as the cat’s cautious curiosity or the Labrador’s optimism—are expressed through subtle gestures and interactions. This approach invites viewers to actively interpret the characters’ feelings actively, fostering a stronger connection.

The absence of words shifts the narrative burden onto visuals, lighting, editing, and sound design. Director Gints Zilbalodis emphasised that this approach compels creative solutions to express complex emotions and ideas. For instance, the film uses environmental sounds like the rustling wind or flowing water to mirror the characters’ emotional states. At the same time, its minimalist score heightens key moments without overwhelming the silence. This careful balance amplifies the audience’s sensory engagement, making each scene feel intuitive and alive.

In Flow, director Gints Zilbalodis employed various techniques to convey the characters’ emotions without dialogue, relying on movement, sound, and visual storytelling to create a deeply emotional experience. These methods allowed the film to transcend language barriers and engage audiences on an instinctive level.

Zilbalodis focused on animating the animals in ways that reflected their real-life behaviours. For example, the black cat protagonist exhibits familiar feline mannerisms such as swiping its paw when threatened, jumping in fear, or standing on its hind legs to mimic other animals. These subtle gestures communicate emotions like fear, curiosity, and determination. The animators studied animal movements in detail to ensure authenticity, making each character’s actions relatable and emotionally resonant.

The film uses carefully composed shots and lighting to emphasise the characters' emotional states. Wide-angle compositions and natural lighting create a sense of isolation or connection depending on the scene. For instance, framing choices—such as close-ups of the cat’s eyes or wide shots of the vast, flooded world—help convey vulnerability or resilience without words. These visual cues guide the audience’s emotional response subtly but effectively.

In the absence of dialogue, sound design plays a critical role in expressing emotions. Environmental sounds like rustling wind, flowing water, and animal vocalisations mirror the characters’ inner states. The soundscape shifts dynamically between quiet, intimate moments and intense action scenes to heighten emotional impact. For example, the cat’s meows or cries are used sparingly but with precision to signal fear or distress.

Zilbalodis embraced silence as a storytelling tool, allowing moments of stillness to amplify tension or introspection. By avoiding constant noise or music, he trusted the audience to engage more actively with the film’s subtleties. This minimalist approach allows viewers to project their own emotions onto the characters, enhancing their connection to the story.

The relationships between the animals are developed through their interactions rather than words. For instance, the cat learning to swim with help from the capybara or mimicking other animals’ behaviours reflects its growing trust and adaptability. These symbolic actions illustrate themes of survival and community while deepening emotional engagement.

By eliminating dialogue, Flow achieves a universality that allows it to be understood across cultures without translation or subtitles. This simplicity ensures that its core themes—survival, trust, and community—are accessible to a global audience.

The lack of spoken words invites audiences to engage more actively with the film. Viewers must interpret visual cues and piece together the story, leading to a more personal and immersive experience. This participatory element deepens emotions, enriching the overall impact of the story.

When I talked to relatives on my wife’s side who had watched the film, they had a mixed reaction to dialogue-free animation. Some loved the immersive nature of it, and some hated the lack of dialogue.

The animation technology

Blender, a free and open-source 3D animation software, was highly significant in creating Flow for both practical and artistic reasons, particularly given the film’s limited budget and independent production.

Blender’s open-source nature and lack of licensing fees made it an ideal choice for Flow, produced on a modest budget of approximately Euros 3.5 million. Director Gints Zilbalodis started the project mainly on his own, using a single laptop before expanding to a small team. Blender’s affordability allowed the production to allocate resources more effectively without compromising the quality of the animation. This accessibility also aligned with Zilbalodis’ independent filmmaking ethos, enabling him to create a visually compelling film without relying on expensive industry-standard software like Maya.

This allowed Zilbalodis and his team to work efficiently within a single platform rather than switching between multiple programmes.

For Zilbalodis, who transitioned from using Maya to Blender during the production of his earlier film Away, Blender represented a tool that empowered independent creators. He learned the software through online resources and seamlessly incorporated it into his workflow, even teaching other animators on his team to use it within a week. This adaptability underscores Blender’s role as a democratising force in animation, enabling small teams or solo creators to produce professional-quality work without significant financial or technical barriers.

Blender was instrumental in making Flow both financially viable and artistically unique. Its open-source nature, comprehensive feature set, and adaptability allowed Zilbalodis to overcome budgetary constraints while crafting an innovative animated film that has garnered worldwide acclaim.

The reaction and awards

Flow has been hailed in Latvia as a historic achievement and a source of national pride. It became the highest-grossing film of 2024 in Latvian cinemas, with over 140,000 admissions, a remarkable feat for the country’s relatively small film industry. Latvians have embraced Flow not only as a cinematic triumph but also as a cultural milestone that showcases the country’s growing creative capabilities on the global stage.

Internationally, Flow has received critical acclaim and numerous prestigious awards. It premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it immediately garnered attention for its unique dialogue-free storytelling and stunning animation. The film won accolades at major festivals, including four awards at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Best Animated Film at the European Film Awards.

One of its most notable achievements was winning Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Golden Globes, making it the first-ever Latvian film to receive this honour. This victory was particularly significant because Flow triumphed over major Hollywood productions like Inside Out 2 and Moana 2. Critics have praised its ability to compete with—and surpass—big-budget studio films through its artistry and emotional resonance. The Golden Globe was displayed at the Latvian National Museum of Art in Riga, where a long line of people queued to see the trophy. How typically British!

The film has also been nominated for two BAFTA awards at the 2025 EE British Academy Film Awards:

1. Best Animated Film: Competing against major productions such as Inside Out 2, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, and The Wild Robot.

2. Children’s and Family Film: Nominated alongside films like Kensuke’s Kingdom, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, and That Christmas.

And Flow has been nominated for two Oscars at the 97th Academy Awards:

1. Best Animated Feature Film: Competing against major international productions such as Inside Out 2, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Memoir of a Snail, and The Wild Robot.

2. Best International Feature Film: with some tough competition in that category.

As an Englishman in Latvia, my support is torn between Wallace and Gromit - which I enjoyed at Christmas - and Flow. Hopefully, they will each get an award at the BAFTAs and the Oscars. This episode is being recorded before the awards ceremonies.

Critics have lauded Flow as a groundbreaking work of art. The Hollywood Reporter described it as “an enchanting eco-fable” that uses its wordless format to deliver a profound message about community and empathy. The New York Times called it “a wordless triumph,” highlighting its ability to convey deep emotional truths through movement, sound, and visuals rather than dialogue.

However, some critics noted minor drawbacks, such as moments where the animation felt overly polished or lacked physical weight. Despite these critiques, widespread admiration for its narrative depth and visual beauty overshadowed them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Flow has resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike for its universal themes of survival, trust, and collaboration. Its success has elevated Latvian cinema to new heights while challenging industry norms about what independent animation can achieve globally. Flow has been celebrated as a victory for independent filmmaking and open-source creativity. Created using Blender, a free software programme, by a small team of young animators, the film demonstrates how resourcefulness and vision rival even the most well-funded productions. Director Gints Zilbalodis emphasised that this achievement is about his team and inspiring future generations of animators worldwide.

It is still showing at cinemas in Latvia, is already available to stream in America and will soon be available in the UK and other European countries. 

Watch it. You will not regret it!

[Image: An Englishman in Latvia from the Flow board game]