Film opinion: How ‘Flow’ could redefine storytelling

Oscar-winning animated film Flow proves you don’t need words to tell a powerful story.

The 2024 Latvian film contains no dialogue and serves as a powerful example of how visual storytelling can transcend language barriers, making the narrative universally accessible and allowing audiences to interpret it freely.

Film News Blitz’s Heidi Hardman-Welsh celebrates Flow’s impact on cinema.

What is ‘Flow’ about?

Flow is a post-apocalyptic animated film that follows a black cat and its unlikely companions as they navigate a flooded world.

Our feline protagonist survives alone until he finds a small sailboat and meets a capybara.

As they travel across the waterlogged landscape, they’re joined by other animals—a Labrador retriever, a secretary bird, and a lemur.

Despite their differences, they must work together to survive rising waters and natural threats on their perilous journey to safety.

So, what makes ‘Flow’ so unique?

Director Gints Zilbalodis masterfully employs the art of animation to enhance the emotional depth of the narrative with no need for dialogue.

Every subtle detail, from the tiniest ear twitch to the softening of an expression, contributes to the distinct personalities of the animals.

The cautious steps of the cat and the playful antics of the dog invite viewers to empathise with each character’s thoughts and feelings.

Furthermore, the film’s portrayal of fluid motion and lighting, combined with dynamic camera movements, brings this world to life.

Water serves as a central theme in Flow, both visually and thematically, adding tension to each scene.

For instance, when an animal falls from the boat, the perspective shifts underwater as the fluid washes over the screen.

This creates a visceral sensation, making viewers feel as though they, too, are submerged, allowing them to resonate with the animals.

Unlike most films that centre around animals, these creatures lack that familiar anthropomorphic style; instead, they embody a more raw and instinctual nature.

This choice adds a layer of realism, inviting the audience to connect with the animals on a different level without that added humanisation.

The film’s creators studied real animal behaviour and sounds to imitate, drawing inspiration from their own pets when creating the characters.

The themes of survival, companionship, adaptation, displacement, and loneliness can be felt strongly as the film invites the viewer to interpret each scene personally.

Through camera movement, pacing, long takes, colour, framing, and sound, Flow can communicate impermanence, sacrifice, and the damaging effects of climate change.

Production and critical acclaim

Production for the film started in 2019 with a small team in Latvia. 

It was directed by Zilbalodis and co-written and produced by Zilbalodis and Matīss Kaža.

Flow was animated entirely using the free and open-source software Blender, rendered in near real-time using the EEVEE engine, and no deleted scenes exist.

It combines 3D animation with a painterly, hand-drawn texture, creating a soft, brushstroke aesthetic and a natural landscape.

The film’s atmosphere was further enhanced by the score composed by Rihards Zalupe and Zilbalodis, featuring an alternation between soaring strings and plucky percussion melodies.

Flow made its debut on May 22, 2024, at the Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, and it hit Latvian theatres on August 29.

It garnered widespread praise from critics and shattered multiple box-office records in Latvia, becoming the most-watched film in the country’s theatre history.

At the 97th Academy Awards, Flow took home the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, marking the first nomination and win for a Latvian film at the Academy Awards.

It also secured the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.

The importance of wordless cinema

The technique of using no dialogue in film means it must rely heavily on visual storytelling, reminiscent of the 1910s-20s silent era, which marked a turning point in artistic innovation.

This approach encourages filmmakers to focus on the power of imagery, performance, and sound design, and when done effectively, it can be incredibly memorable.

‘WALL-E’

 A great example of a film with minimal dialogue that effectively conveys a strong narrative is the animated sci-fi picture WALL-E (2008).

WALL-E follows a solitary waste-collection robot who spends his days tidying the planet after it was destroyed by human over-consumption and greed.

Then he spots EVE, a sleek, probing bot sent back to Earth on a scanning mission. 

He quickly becomes smitten and follows EVE across the galaxy, which leads to robots and humans working together to renew the Earth.

Director Andrew Stanton and the crew studied silent films like those of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton to develop their approach to visual storytelling.

With few words, this film is deeply emotional, layered with themes of environmentalism, the impact of technology, and humanity’s disregard for the planet.

‘2001: A Space Odyssey’

Often regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is notable for its emphasis on visuals over dialogue, with a significant portion of the film comprising extensive dialogue-free sequences.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a Sci-fi film about an alien monolith that triggers human evolution.

In the year 2001, a mission to Jupiter is disrupted by a rogue artificial intelligence.

The lone survivor, Dave Bowman, encounters another alien monolith and evolves into a higher being, symbolising the next step for the human race.

The film was way ahead of its time, being a masterclass in visual composition with groundbreaking symbolism, symmetry, and abstract visuals, while exploring themes such as the potential pitfalls of knowledge and exploration, the nature of existence, and human evolution.

Particularly in the opening and final acts, director Stanley Kubrick utilises silence and ambient sound to create a lasting impact.

Kubrick relies on image over plot, with visuals that demand attention because every frame poses a question, provokes thought, and urges viewers to engage with the film on a deeper level.

Conclusion

It is often overlooked that people should have the opportunity to interpret and explore media in their own way.

It is this personal journey of discovery that breathes life into art, making it not just something to consume but something to interact with, connect to, and grow from. 

The wordless approach to storytelling values minimalism, in contrast to exposition-heavy blockbusters; here, there is trust in the viewer’s ability to ‘feel’ rather than be told.

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