A kitty who took Hollywood by storm: ‘Flow’ and the power of indie animation

'Flow' - Dream Well

When Flow director Gints Zilbalodis was about to work with a team for the first time, he felt very anxious because he was unsure of what to expect. Gints had made Away by himself and was used to making films this way. What started as a story about his cat's fear of water eventually became a metaphor for the filmmaking process. Filmmaking often involves conflicts and arguments between divergent ideas and points of view—like completely different animals sharing the same boat. And despite these differences, finding common ground is essential for the benefit of everyone.

Luckily, the production of his future Oscar-winning animated feature proceeded without major issues. At the time, it’s likely that few could have imagined how far that cat would go. I say this because Flow, as an indie animation, doesn’t include aspects that are typical of Hollywood movies, like larger budgets or mass-market appeal. It was produced on a budget of $3.83 million, significantly lower than Pixar’s Inside Out 2 ($200 million). Additionally, Flow was primarily made in Latvia, where the animation industry is quite small, and 3D animators are scarce—there are only 2D animators. So Gints Zilbalodis had to train and lead the team, something he wasn’t used to. Most of the work on the movie was done in Latvia, with a small team, while the sound design and character animation were completed in France and Belgium.

Unlike many movies from major studios, the animals in Flow appear and behave in a unique way: they resemble real animals—neither cartoonish nor overly realistic. Acting like animals includes, of course, the absence of dialogue. Since no human beings appear in the story, the film has no dialogue. Initially, the elements that make Flow a typical non-Hollywood film might have seemed to lessen its chances for an Academy Award, right? Not exactly, because the facts proved otherwise. In my opinion, it was precisely those very qualities that made Flow an Oscar-winning film.

It’s clear that this time the Academy appreciated independent cinema. Sean Baker’s Anora won five Oscars, including Best Picture. In addition to Best Animated Feature, Flow was nominated for Best International Feature Film—an accomplishment unprecedented for an animated movie. For me, Flow represents an admirable achievement in creating cinema despite all the obstacles and limitations. The film and its production carry a valuable message for the art of filmmaking, especially as the industry continues to recover from the post-pandemic era.

It doesn’t mean that mainstream cinema is less significant than indie cinema, or vice versa. A big studio production involves hard work and high costs. But it’s undeniable that indie cinema serves as a fertile ground for experimentation, while highlighting filmmaking as a craft. Unleashed creativity and an unshakable faith that transcend mere commercial concerns—these two elements carry the energy the industry needs to be reborn and grow stronger. That’s my point.

As widely reported, Flow was made on Blender, open-source software, which means any studio, regardless of budget or team size, can produce something that might become an international hit and win many awards, as the Latvian film did. However, technology isn’t the most important element here. All elements of cinematic language, such as storytelling, editing, lighting, and camera movements, are more significant in expressing feelings and ideas in a movie with no dialogue. The director had to rely on visual language and sound design to express the animals' personalities, emotions, and intentions.

Flow is beautifully stylized but not cartoonish, grounded but not hyper-realistic. With less editing and an exploration of long takes and camera movements amid a painterly composition, the audience is engaged in a remarkable experience, which Gints Zilbalodis described as 'immersive.' Unfortunately, many animated movies haven't succeeded in achieving that in recent years.