Gints Zilbalodis Teases ‘Flow’ Ahead of Cannes and Annecy Debut

Leading into its Cannes Film Festival premiere as an official selection in the Un Certain Regard section — dedicated to artistically and narratively bolder works — award-winning Latvian animator Gints Zilbalodis (Away, Oasis) has released a sneak peek from his new 3D CG feature film, Flow. The dialog-free animal adventure, which the director describes as “life-affirming … exciting, sad and funny” will also screen at Annecy in June.

Produced by Dream Well Studio (Latvia) with Sacrebleu Productions (France) and Take Five (Belgium), the 85-minute film is set in a world nearing its end, littered with the leftovers of human civilization: A solitary Cat loses his home to a great flood, and finds refuge on a boat with an affable Capybara, codependent Dog, hoarder Lemur and a Secretary bird rejected by its flock. As the boat drifts through water-buried landscapes, these refugees must overcome their differences and adapt to the new challenges and dangers of this world.

“All the characters are animals and we wanted them to behave like animals, to keep it grounded this way. It’s not a Disney film,” Zilbalodis told Variety in a new interview. “I can’t tell the audience what’s going on in their heads. This silence allowed me to be more expressive with other filmmaking tools. I could really focus on the camera, for example.”

The director, who himself had to adapt to working with others after his breakout solo feature Away, added that the aesthetic goal was to create an “immersive and simplified” universe reminiscent of found footage. And yes, the animators watched a lot of internet cat videos (for research).

Zilbalodis directed Flow and wrote the no-dialog screenplay with Matīss Kaža (Neon Spring, The Taste of Water). The helmer also helped compose the music, another task he performed for Away, with Rihards Zaļupe (1906, Fear No One).

The preview clip can be viewed on the Festival du Cannes website here, or watch below courtesy of AlloCiné.