Written by Anna Porter. Photos by Anna Porter.
SCAD Savannah Film Festival screened Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis’ new film, “Flow,” on October 28, 2024. The movie follows the story of a black cat, suddenly finding itself in a massive, earth-covering flood. As water continues to fill up the place it calls home, the cat crosses paths with unlikely friends, working together with each other to search for safety.
The film has a stunning, painterly quality, and the 3D visuals resemble a video-game like world. The animals pass through many landmarks that come into detail as they get closer, but the design of the world still remains simplistic. The sense of lighting is strong, and since the main character is a black cat, it’s clear that the animators had to spend a lot of time rendering the lighting to ensure that the main character stays visible along a changing backdrop. After the film, Zilbalodis participated in a Q&A session about the movie, where he was asked about the setting, which incorporates ruins and evidence of human life. He explained that he wanted to leave the setting more ambiguous, tying in scenery from multiple places, and allowing the story to take place in a more timeless environment. The “filming” style immerses viewers in the world because of the long takes that don’t cut often. This is a very effective style that is interesting to watch in animated form.
Zilbalodis’ talent for storytelling is impeccable, creating a way for the audience to stay engaged in a 90-minute plot with no dialogue. A beautiful, ambient soundtrack, also created by Zilbalodis, weaves itself through the narrative, as well as lush soundscapes created by foley artists. In the Q&A session following the film, Zilbalodis talked about his process of pairing story with sound. There is a section of the film where one of the characters encounters what seems like another form of energy or higher power at the top of a high tower. When asked about this moment, Zilbalodis explained that this area was a blank part that needed to be filled in, and the score, which was already created, helped him come up with an idea of how to fill it. The swell of the music inspired the idea for the plasma-like visuals and strange new plot point, which still remains up to interpretation.
As “Flow” is only Zilbalodis’ second feature film, he has a small team. His new studio in Latvia was established specifically for the making of this film. Being an independent filmmaker and animator allows creative freedom, which Zilbalodis has plenty of. In the Q&A session, he explained his interesting approach to planning the film. He mentioned that he doesn’t use storyboarding at all, a technique almost universally used by animators. Instead, he created the 3D world model on his computer and planned out the story inside the world, afterwards creating an animatic to send to the animators. Zilbalodis’ bravery to break the mold is inspiring, as he pushes young creators to experiment and pave their own creative process.
The overall theme of teamwork to achieve a goal is told beautifully through a simple perspective of a cat. Each animal it meets, including a dog, a lemur, a capybara and a bird, represents the different motives of people while fighting for survival. This concept provides the perfect structure for storytelling and moves the film along in a well-paced manner. Zilbalodis’ passion for telling personal stories will continue to drive his career, as he is already working on a new film for the future. “Flow” is a powerful movie that everyone should watch when it is released worldwide. Zilbalodis’ out-of-the-box approaches to animation and concrete storytelling skills will inspire this new generation of young artists and writers.
A full-time Graphic Design major/ Advertising & Branding minor and part-time music enthusiast, Anna Porter brings her love of art and design to SCAD District as the Creative Director. Anna leads the creative team in all things visual, from website design to publication design. Her writings can be found in the “Audio File,” District’s weekly music review column where Anna provides music updates and recommendations. If Anna is not designing or listening to music (rare,) you will probably find her in the other room making a cup of tea.
