FLOW
A Review by Ariadne Si Suo
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be able to understand every meow? FLOW by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis offers you this rare opportunity with a stunning animation taking us on a little black cat’s journey through a post-apocalyptic world. In the absence of dialogue, we listen more intently and look more carefully. The filmmakers’ trust in audiences pay off – natural intuition flows back into us, and we’re astonished to discover that words were never needed.
FLOW is about flowing through life, and the beautiful moments that make life worth living. The cat’s adventure on Noah’s Ark through the biblical flood is as stressful as an action movie, but the true strength of this film lies in the quiet contemplative moments. The cat loves to climb high to gaze at the world – the golden glow, the shimmering sea, the enigmatic ancient city, and the lush green of nature. How wonderfully dreamy it all is. The cat is like the Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich, through whose sensitive soul we experience the sublime. We’re lost in the cat’s gaze, in awe of the grandeur of this world.
Recipient of the Jury Award at Annecy International Animation Film Festival, FLOW is also about dreams, hopes, and the fear that comes with them. The cat is naturally drawn to the wonders that seem out of reach. He’s mesmerised by the bird’s elegant glide, and the whale’s effortless dive. The secretary bird opens wings wide. The cat falls in love with the power and grace. Beauty and friendship eventually give him courage – surrounded by hundreds of fish, he forgets his fear of water in this swirl of colour.
The company of a chill capybara, glamour-obsessed lemur, kind-hearted secretary bird, and happy labrador bring plenty of adorable and funny moments, but the rising flood is ultimately cruel. The cat is haunted by nightmares of a mass crowd of deer circling around him in extreme panic. The tension gradually builds up to a heartbreaking climax. It’s hard to hold back tears in the immense sadness.
Humans are absent, but we can’t help wondering if it was them who made this world such a terrible place that these creatures have to suffer. This immersive experience as a little black cat should serve as a wake-up call for us – it’s time to take climate change seriously so that catastrophes like this don’t happen in the very near future.