The Flow phenomenon

It is a crisp March day, and people of all ages are queuing outside the Latvian National Museum of Art for a chance to glimpse and capture a photo with a very special golden object: Latvia’s first-ever Oscar. Beside it, two more prestigious awards glisten — the Golden Globe and the European Film Award.

These are just a few of the many accolades earned by Flow, the animated film, which has garnered 70 nominations and 54 awards so far. For the people of Latvia, the film’s success has been an unprecedented morale booster. The true significance of this momentous achievement for a small nation is almost beyond words.

When the film’s core team returned home from the Academy Awards in the U.S., they were met with a heroes’ welcome. Crowds had gathered at the Monument of Freedom, cheering their arrival at 11 p.m on a Wednesday night. The wins, the global acclaim from critics, and the film’s box office success have sent a powerful message, instilling hope and reinforcing belief in the power of creativity and teamwork.

Flow was made on a budget of just 3.5 million euros — far below the average for European animated films, which typically range from eight to 12 million euros. By comparison, Inside Out 2, one of Flow’s competitors for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, had a staggering budget of 200 million dollars.

This wordless film follows Cat, a creature whose home is lost to a devastating flood. Fortunately, Cat finds refuge on a boat, sharing it with other animals. Despite their differences, the creatures develop a common understanding as they drift through the flooded landscape, overcoming challenges together.

The universally understandable nature of the story is often cited as one of the reasons for the film’s global success. “National stories are typically intended for the nation where they were created. Universal stories, which aren’t tied to a specific historical event, tend to travel best. Of course, there are exceptions,” says Flow producer and co-writer Matīss Kaža.

Director Gints Zilbalodis and team created Flow using Blender, a free software. Assembling a team in Latvia took some thinking outside the box. “3D animation is still new to Latvia in a cinematic context. While we have many individuals working in advertising, visual effects, and small-scale projects, we don’t yet have a full-fledged 3D animation industry. To build our team, we had to look beyond traditional 3D animation,” explains Kaža.

In fact, in true Latvian fashion, they sought people out among friends and acquaintances and even posted an ad seeking people with experience using Blender, ultimately discovering many of the talents who brought the film’s characters, plants, water, and other elements to life. Eventually, they also teamed up with partners Take Five from Belgium and Sacrebleu Productions from France, whose experience in animation helped take Flow to the global level.

“Latvia may not have a vast film infrastructure, but these limitations pushed us to find unconventional solutions—ones that ultimately made the film more interesting and helped it stand out in the global market as something fresh, unusual, and special,” shares Zilbalodis.

“Creating a film like Flow would be challenging in the film industry of a larger country, where a young and relatively inexperienced team like ours would be unlikely to gain the trust and creative freedom we had,” he continues.

Kaža shares insights into the team’s approach to working on Flow. Creating the film required “the ability to plan ahead,” as it was made using a non-traditional workflow that didn’t align with industry standards. The team prioritized healthy communication and fostered a liberal atmosphere.

“You shouldn’t feel like you’re just going to work; you should feel like you’re working on something interesting and of high artistic quality, where your opinion and vision matter. As an artist, you shouldn’t feel like you’re being exploited—your creative input should be integral to the project,” Kaža says of working on a film like Flow.

Although stress is inevitable and working hours can be unpredictable, “the key is ensuring that everyone is clear about their direction and responsibilities. Having a clear vision and a straightforward way of communicating is essential, because expressing something in words isn’t always the most effective approach. Sometimes, it’s more valuable to show through example, association, or reference. Especially in the visual arts, we can’t always convey what we want to say through words alone,” Kaža is honest. It is hoped that the success of Flow will inspire a new generation of animators, serving as a tangible example of what can be achieved with free software, enthusiasm, drive, determination, creative thinking, and teamwork.

In recognition of their achievements, Zilbalodis, Kaža, and composer Rihards Zaļupe, who produced the film’s score together with Zilbalodis, have been awarded the Order of the Three Stars, the highest national civilian order, issued for meritorious service to Latvia.

The Flow phenomenon

Latvia’s first ever Oscar-winning movie