‘Flow’ urges us to intuit our way to success

“Flow” (“Straume”) (2024). Director: Gints Zilbalodis. Screenplay: Gints Zilbalodis, Matiss Kaza and Ron Dyens. Web site. Trailer.

Sometimes the simplest yet most profound messages come to us from the unlikeliest of sources. In many cases, those messengers deliver their insights metaphorically and unwittingly, with an almost “innocent” nature, as if to give license to the notion of “out of the mouths of babes.” So imagine how valuable that information can be when its impact is significant and inspired and comes at a time when the stakes are at their highest. Such is the case in the charming, insightful and enlightening new animated feature from Latvia, “Flow” (“Straume”).

This stunningly beautiful, deeply moving second offering from writer-director Gints Zilbalodis tells the tale of a band of animals seeking to find their way and survive in a brave new world. When a great flood essentially destroys the world of man, a wide-eyed black cat must figure out how to get by when this consuming deluge wipes out the existence he has known, armed with only his own wits and the cooperation of fellow animal kindreds. These bold collaborators include an unassuming capybara, an endlessly curious meerkat, a flock of secretary birds (a stork-like species with a surprisingly evolved social structure) and a pack of dogs, most notably a genial yellow Labrador retriever. Together this band of diverse creatures navigates the waters of this new world in an abandoned sailboat, learning how to work together to support one another and to stay alive, surmounting an array of challenges along the way. This includes virtually everything from dealing with the unpredictable elements of the environment to finding sufficient sustenance to unraveling the remaining mysteries of the old world. There’s also the emergence of a spiritual aspect in their lives, providing the creatures with a perspective on existence that is likely revelatory and eye-opening.

A capybara, a meerkat, a Labrador retriever and a black cat are among the creatures seeking to find their way in a new world after a great deluge wipes out the world of man in the new, Oscar-winning animated feature, “Flow” (“*Straume*”). Photo courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films.

In the process of sorting out these challenges, they collectively learn valuable life lessons and coping mechanisms that we as humans can all stand to follow. This is especially true when confronted with circumstances not unlike those that we all must contend with in a world on the brink, conditions to which most of us can probably relate these days. The answers that these creatures come up with are often arrived at intuitively, not to mention eminently pragmatic and patently obvious. Interestingly enough, though, given the foregoing, the film, in turn, thoughtfully prompts us to ask ourselves, if these seemingly simple solutions are so readily apparent, why aren’t we doing more ourselves to embrace them in addressing our own current challenges?

That’s a very good question and one of the greatest strengths of this widely acclaimed release. This dialogue-free offering, whose only sounds come from the authentic utterances of its animal protagonists and its emotive background score, features exquisite animation in its depiction of a world in transition, one showing the remnants of what’s been left behind and the emergence of what’s coming into being. While the narrative takes a little time to initially find its footing (undoubtedly a reflection of the adjustment its protagonists are undergoing) and is occasionally episodic as it unfolds, the various incidents the film portrays as the story plays out are instructive, touching, meaningful and spot on in conveying the picture’s myriad insights, crafted in a way that shows more than tells and successfully avoids the temptation to spoon-feed audiences.

Accompanied by his peers from the animal kingdom, a black cat navigates the tricky waters of a new world aboard an abandoned sailboat through what’s left of the old world of man in writer-director Gints Zilbalodis’s award-winning animated feature, “Flow” (“*Straume*”), available for streaming online. Photo courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films.

It goes without saying that we can learn a lot from the animals in this release. They exhibit traits that we could all stand to adopt as we go through the kind of metaphorical transition that they’re experiencing. This is crucial to the nature of the existence they’re in the process of creating for themselves, an undertaking parallel to our own in the manifestation of the reality we experience, an outcome made possible by the conscious creation process, the philosophy that enables such a result. It’s unlikely that the creatures are consciously aware of this way of thinking, yet, quite amazingly, they exhibit behavior reflective of its principles, concepts that appear to be understood unconsciously, on an intuitive level. And, as they put these notions into practice, they appear to learn from their experiences – and in ways that we could do the same.

The role of intuition in this process can’t be overstated. It is one of the components that figures into the formation of our beliefs, and that’s crucial in light of the role they play in the materialization of our world. And, with the emergence of a new world like the one the animals are going through, the content and deployment of those beliefs are arguably more important than ever at a time like this. They will shape what ultimately unfolds, and the significance of that is paramount, a consideration not unlike what we as humans face ourselves today.

This, of course, naturally begs the question, are the animals aware of what they believe? That’s hard to say with definitive certainty, but it would seem likely that they nevertheless have an awareness of the circumstances they face, particularly when their very survival is on the line. Indeed, if they wish to survive, they must remain present in their existence. Achieving such a state of mind is critical, given that this is the point where their personal power to determine their destiny resides. And this calls for removing unnecessary distractions, paying keen attention to the insights offered up by their intuition and attaining unfettered clarity of thought in directing the nature of their unfolding existence.

An unassuming capybara and a black cat lead a team of animals aboard an abandoned sailboat after a great flood destroys the world of man in the award-winning animated feature, “Flow” (“*Straume*”), available for streaming online. Photo courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films.

This is a point from which we could learn a lot. By distilling our beliefs down to what is clearest and most essential, we can wipe away the clutter that gets in our way, especially when directing our thoughts, intents and energies in the direction where it’s most useful and beneficial. When the focus of our consciousness is unduly scattered, it’s difficult, if not impossible, to stay on track in creating what we need for ourselves and our world. The need for attaining that kind of focus – the type exhibited by the characters in this film – is of the utmost importance when it comes to developing solutions required for addressing the challenges faced in forging a new world. It’s an example from which we humans could learn much. In fact, it may provide the key to more readily revealing the simple solutions noted above, showing us what has been hiding in plain sight all along. With our vision made clearer, we’ll be able to see things with a new set of eyes.

This is where the picture’s aforementioned spiritual aspect comes into play. Its appearance is “enlightening” in every sense of the word. It shows those touched by it with an expanded outlook on the nature of being, a development that opens the door to new, previously unimagined possibilities. It also broadens our manifestation capabilities, providing us with an enlarged palette of options for solving the challenges before us, both on a practical level and in providing us with an evolved perspective on our place in our personal existence and the Universe at large.

An insatiably curious meerkat seeks to make sense of a new world while investigating the remnants of the old one in the award-winning Latvian animated feature, “Flow” (“*Straume*”). Photo courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films.

In that sense, then, “Flow” is very much a poignant fable for our times. And, as a consequence, that’s why the film has earned more than its share of accolades, including the Oscar, Golden Globe and National Board of Review Award for best animated feature, as well as the Independent Spirit Award for best international feature. Along the way, the picture earned comparable honors and nominations at numerous film festivals (including the prestigious Un Certain Regard Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival) and from countless film critics organizations, as well as additional accolades from the BAFTA and Critics Choice Award competitions. That’s quite a haul for a little film from a country not especially known for its cinematic achievements. Indeed, “Flow” may be animated, but it’s by no means a cartoon, an accomplishment to which more films in this genre should attempt to aspire, a true gem from which we could all stand to learn a lot – and, one would hope, before we’re faced with circumstances like these ourselves. The film is available for streaming online from multiple internet platforms and is scheduled for release on home media in the near future.

Sometimes, the best ideas come to us in ways we least expect under circumstances that seem unfathomable. When that happens, we may well have to throw away our standard playbooks and start looking for solutions by employing untried means, such as listening to our gut instincts and seeking simplicity in a sea of obscurity. We might not be accustomed to following these practices, and they could easily push us out of our comfort zones. But learning how to go with the flow in these new and different ways may just be the ticket to coming up with the answers we need to get by and even thrive. And, if our animal friends can figure that out, there’s no reason to believe we can’t follow suit – unless, of course, we purposely get in our own way. But what’s to be gained by that?