Flow

The making of Flow is a story unto itself.  Director Gints Zibalodis has spent 5 years developing the tale, using free animation software named Blender, and working without any storyboards, and without any edits, what is delivered over the tight runtime is everything he conceived in one continuous flow of animated beauty.

The tale is simple, a cat is caught up in a disastrous flood, and must team up with other animals in order to survive.  As the mismatched animals float along the water in a boat, working together to survive, they go on not only a physical journey, but also one of the spirit and soul, that brings all of life closer together.  All of this is without any dialogue, only the natural sounds of animals and the environment around them, accompanied by a score from the director himself and Rihards Zalupe, with the end result being one of the most beautiful, charming, amusing, and enthralling 83 minutes of film viewing you will ever encounter.

The animation is absolutely beautiful, showcasing what someone with vision can make with the free tools available, and each of the animals feel so very real, offering perfectly realised movements and quirks of character that never feel ‘humanised’ in any way.  There’s an authenticity to their behaviours that makes the interplay between them so believable, and thus our connection to their plight and the emotional aspects stronger.  You care for each of them as they carry along, and also chuckle at the very typical animal reactions they have to the world around them.

This is a delight of a film that is deserving of the recognition it has seen over recent months, and is one film I recommend to everyone.  Never feeling cloying in the sentimentality, it simply allows you to care as you are swept into a majestically crafted animated journey.

Do yourself a favour, and watch Flow – I guarantee you will come away smiling and feeling great about the world, which is something we all need at this point in history.