Latvian film ‘Flow’ has made history by winning the Oscar for best animated feature. The dialogue-free film, which debuted at the Cannes film festival in 2019, beat out higher-profile blockbusters like ‘Inside Out 2’ and ‘The Wild Robot’.
Directed by Gints Zilbalodis, the film tells the story of a cat’s journey to find safety after its home is devastated by a flood. The director used free software Blender for production, which was his second full-length feature after 2019’s ‘Away’.
Zilbalodis expressed gratitude towards his family and pets during his acceptance speech, saying “we must overcome our differences to work together”. The film has grossed $20m worldwide and holds the record for most-viewed theatrical film in Latvian history.
The Golden Globe win was seen as a representation of optimism for Latvia’s self-esteem. Even President Edgars Rinkevics expressed support, calling it “great moment for the team, great moment for Latvia!”. The award follows last year’s victory by Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/mar/03/oscar-flow-best-animated-feature