HowFlow, a Latvian Animated Movie with No Dialogue, Is Upending the Awards Race: The Story Is 'Universal' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

‘Flow’.Photo:Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

Flow, Latvia’s wordless adventure story about a cat surviving a fantastical flood, has made quite a splash this awards season.

The modest independent film has upended the animated feature race, going toe-to-toe with the likes ofInside Out 2,Moana 2andThe Wild Robot.Not only has it beaten those Hollywood heavyweights for theNational Board of ReviewAward and beenGolden Globe- andCritics Choice-nominated in that category, it’s Latvia’sshortlistedsubmission for this year’s Best International FeatureOscar.

“No other Latvian film has had this kind of reach in festivals or distribution,” director and co-writer Gints Zilbalodis tells PEOPLE. “So we’re very happy here in Latvia to be noticed for this.”

Critically acclaimed for its simple tale of animals banding together to survive an apocalypse,Flowis notable for not featuring the chatty cartoon critters audiences might be used to. Instead it’s dialogue-free, capturing the behaviors of a feline protagonist and its new allies with a precision that would feel documentary-like were it not for beautifully dreamy animation.

‘Flow’.Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films

The origins for the script, co-written with Matīss Kaža, were personal for Zilbalodis, whose 2019 animated breakoutAwaywas a short film about a cat’s fear of water. “I wanted to tell a story about how I’m learning to collaborate and how to trust others,” he says ofFlow. “I thought the cat would be a great character to put through this experience [and] a good starting point for its character arc. So I revisited that earlier premise and added a bunch of more characters.”

Those include a daffy retriever, a headstrong capybara, a covetous lemur and a mysterious bird, as well as glimpses of more fantastical creatures. “I want to really put you in the cat’s point of view and let you experience the world through the cat’s eyes,” Zilbalodis explains.

“To me, films are more like music where it’s really about the emotion rather than explanations of stuff,” he adds. “First and foremost, I want to create an emotional experience, which for me is more important than sending a message.”

Gints Zilbalodis at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of ‘Flow’ on Sept. 10, 2024.Brian de Rivera Simon/Getty

Brian de Rivera Simon/Getty

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Zilbalodis first had an inklingFlowcould take on Hollywood’s awards season when it was selected for the 2024Cannes Film Festival,” which “almost never selects animated films,” he notes. “After that, everything blew up.”

As for Latvia competing in the animated feature race against Disney, DreamWorks and such major studios, Zilbalodis says “there is room for both” types of films. “I’m really glad these more independent films are in the conversation. It’s kind of hard to compete with the big ones! But it’s really exciting.”

Also exciting: meeting his heroes likeGeorge Lucasat film festivals. The success ofFlowis “really out of my hands now,” says Zilbalodis as he gears up for the Globes, Critics Choice, Spirit Awards and more. “With animation you can control everything, you can create the worlds that you imagine and control every expression of the characters. Once it’s finished, it’s like I’m in this storm trying to stay afloat.”

Flowis in theaters now.

source: people.com