World Nature Conservation Day | Review of Gints Zilbalodis’s ‘Flow’

In an era of big-budget studio-produced animation films, one of the most memorable and groundbreaking motion pictures comes in the form of the delicate story of a cat’s journey in a world that feels oddly familiar, perhaps because one can imagine such a situation is not too far away from occurring on our planet. The film follows the journey of a cat that lives by itself in a jungle but must now fight to survive in a world that is suddenly devastated by a great flood.

Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis’ ‘Flow’ pulls you in from the very first scene, and you are instantly enamoured by the imagery he creates, a world made entirely using Unreal Engine. What he crafts is quite unreal indeed, and in its short runtime, ‘Flow’ manages to say so much without speaking a single word. It is an example of how a film without dialogue can transcend the very boundary of language itself. While many may find the idea of a film without any dialogue to serve as a daunting watch, Flow is in fact one of the most immersive films in recent memory. The sound design and attention to tiny details, along with the wonderful animation style, is a feast for the senses. In fact, after a point, one seems to understand exactly what is being emoted or said, even though they are sounds made by animals. Such is the grand achievement of Zilbalodis’ sophomore feature.

The film plays out like a modern version of Noah’s Ark with a twist: There is not a single human being present throughout the film. The water rises every moment, as it submerges every tree in the forest and even hides mountains. ‘Flow’ is as much a film about nature and wildlife conservation as it is about coexistence. In a world that is increasingly finding itself divided, we see the cat, a creature often known for being solitary, finding companions in the most unlikely of creatures, as they survive through the worst of climate change together.

The film finds itself wavering amidst several moments of beauty throughout. Be it the flood sequence or the brief moments where we see the golden rays of warm sunshine, this environmental drama manages to weave together multiple emotional punches. The audience finds themselves as a part of the floating crew, slowly getting accustomed to this fine group of animals who navigate their way to safety in a world that feels anything but safe. Nearly 200,000 acres of forests are lost every day. There has been a significant rise in global temperatures. It is important to join hands irrespective of our differences, for the battle to protect nature is common, not just for a better today, but for a more hopeful tomorrow. Flow is a warm hug that whispers into our ear the need to strive for change to save mother earth, even if it starts in the simplest of ways.

The writer, Rudrangsh Gupta, is a freelance filmmaker and enjoys keeping a keen eye out for moving stories that are shown with a unique lens.