With roots dating back to the 1930s, Latvian animation has greatly evolved in the decades since, employing a wide range of techniques and styles that reflect the country's cultural heritage. The earliest examples of Latvian animation saw several pioneers, including woodcut artist Oļģerts Ābelīte and newspaper cartoonist Ernests Rirdāns, experimenting with various forms of storytelling. Today, Latvian animators generally subscribe to the auteur theory, in which filmmakers are recognised for their unique voices and signatures; one such director is Gints Zilbalodis, who made his feature debut with 2019's Away.
Zilbalodis' new film Flow, which opens in Dutch cinemas on Boxing Day, marks a significant milestone in animated cinema—Latvian or otherwise. Penned by the director alongside producer Matīss Kaža, this wordless film follows the journey of a saucer-eyed cat who, after a cataclysmic flood, finds itself on a boat with a range of other animals—including a lemur, a capybara and a golden retriever. Together, the group must navigate this watery, hostile environment, a challenge that forces them to learn to work as a team. This setup allows Zilbalodis plenty of scope to explore themes such as survival, friendship and adaptation.
This collaborative spirit is reflected in the production of the pan-European Flow, which was made with support from various funding bodies, with the film's audio post-production work being completed in Belgium. Flow's great success at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where it won the Jury, Audience, Best Original Music and Gan Foundation awards, is a marker of its affecting story and top-drawer animation. The film crystallises some of life's most essential elements, and its ability to convey complex emotions without relying on sentimentality—or even dialogue—is wholly admirable.
As the film limbers up for its theatrical release in the Netherlands, it provides a reminder that animation is not confined to children's entertainment but is rather an exceptionally powerful medium for storytelling, one that can move people of all ages; Flow's universality is enhanced by the complete absence of a language barrier. At no point does the film explicitly attribute its subject matter to climate change—a point that is self-evident—which is testament to its sophistication. Flow's narrative and emotional depth set it apart from every other animated film released this year; do not miss this instant classic.
