“Flow” wins the Golden Globe for best animated film

To flow has been making waves on the awards circuit, recently becoming the first Latvian film to be shortlisted for an Oscar in the Best International Feature Film category, but tonight’s Golden Globe win for Best Animated Film was a particularly important for director Gints Zilbalodis and his team.

“This film is made by a very small team, young but passionate, in a place where there is no big film industry,” he says. “It’s the first time a Latvian film has come here, so it’s huge for us.”

Even without a big-budget animation industry to support them, To flow beat five other competitors, including Pixar Inside Out 2 which was the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

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To flow follows a cat whose solitary lifestyle changes once his home is devastated by a big flood. The cat must learn to overcome its fear of water and other people to survive, finding safety among a group of animals of different species.

“It’s a very personal story for me, because I was working alone,” says Zilbalodis. “I have directed all my films myself but this time I worked in a team and just like the cat in To flowI had to learn to trust others, to collaborate, to overcome our differences and I think it is very important to remember this today, more than ever.

And in a final humble thank you to everyone, he adds: “Thank you for adopting our little film about cats. »