In terms of 2024, there has been a noticeable amount of experimentation within the animation genre. The Spanish animated film “Robot Dreams” was silent aside from the Earth, Wind and Fire song “September” and told a story about an evolving friendship between a dog and a robot. Additionally, the successful and seemingly conventional “Wild Robot” also features a relationship between a robot and animals, but becomes a larger morality tale about motherhood and some form of dystopia.
Although there aren’t any robots in Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis’s feature film “Flow” — which played locally in November at Anomaly Film Festival and is currently screening at The Little Theatre — it stands out as a visual marvel that mixes together 3D computer-generated and standard hand-drawn animation. It’s no surprise that the film is now Latvia’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards.
A completely silent film, Zilbalodis’s latest work serves not only as a heartwarming narrative about different species forming friendships but also as a meditation on storytelling and how animated films achieve that.
The movie concerns a nameless black cat trying to survive in the wilderness, which seems to be the result of a climate-related apocalypse. After stealing a fish and escaping from a pack of dogs, the cat (and the rest of the forest) get washed away by a massive flood that engulfs the known area. As the cat tries to survive the harsh conditions, it befriends a golden retriever, capybara, lemur and stork while learning how to swim and catch fish.
The animals look hyper-realistic and only speak in squeaks or any noises that each specific animal traditionally makes. But there is are also a tinge of classic Disney or Pixar creatures, as they can complete human actions such as steering a ship or drawing. The animals are given expressive faces, further deepening the whole visual so the audience can connect to and understand the characters’ emotions.
Along with being the director, Zilbalodis served as the film’s co-writer, co-producer, score composer, cinematographer, editor and art director. He feels in total control of his craft, employing CGI to establish the character models and world, and using hand-drawn animation to give the world its texture. By blending various forms of animation and character actions, Zilbalodis finds a middle ground that opens, and “Flow” becomes a prime example of the power of visual storytelling, setting a new standard for animated films of this decade.
“Flow” is currently playing at The Little Theatre.
Henry O’Brien is a contributor to CITY.
This post was originally published on here
