SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
"Flow" is an animated film from Latvia that stars a dark cat, a yellow Lab, a ring-tailed lemur, a capybara, and a long-limbed bird who band together to try to survive. The film is affecting, but it is not a standard cutesy cartoon. The animals have no names. They are not voiced by celebrities. In fact, there's no human speech at all.
(SOUNDBITE OF CAT MEOWING)
SIMON: We only hear the meows, barks, whines and caws of this crew of different species all traveling together over what looks like a doomed and drowning landscape. "Flow" is one of this year's Oscar nominees for best animated feature. It is directed by Gints Zilbalodis from a script co-written by the director and Matiss Kaza. Gints Zilbalodis joins us now from Latvia. Thank you so much for being with us.
GINTS ZILBALODIS: Thank you. It's great to be here.
SIMON: The opening of this film really shakes up a viewer. What are we seeing? What event in the life of this Earth?
ZILBALODIS: Well, we first see the cat at peace at its home, but soon after, there's this terrible flood which floods his home. And the cat has to find refuge in a small boat with a group of other animals, and they don't really get along.
SIMON: Yeah. Well, they're a different species, right? And if I may, they - the instinct is to fight like cats and dogs. But what takes over?
ZILBALODIS: The story is about these very different characters finding ways to compromise and overcome their differences, because I think the cat wouldn't make it on its own through this world. So it is about collaboration, and there are no heroes or villains. Hopefully, we can relate to all of the characters. But the source of the conflict is really the flood.
SIMON: Yeah. Can you tell us what's happening in the world, or are we left to infer that on our own?
ZILBALODIS: Well, yeah, it is kind of a mystery because the story is told through the cat's point of view, and the cat doesn't know where the humans have gone or where the flood is coming from. So it was important that we stay in that point of view, and I wanted to create an experience where you get to feel like you are the cat. And for that reason, I wanted to strip it down from any unnecessary exposition and basically just get to the point as quickly as possible.
SIMON: I have to ask, did any producer ever say to you, look, this is great. I like this. We get Timothee Chalamet to voice the cat, Emma Stone to be the dog. Maybe Adam Sandler is the bird.
ZILBALODIS: Well, no, not exactly, because it's a fairly small, independent film. And in these kind of productions, I think we have more creative freedom to take bigger swings and try things that may not have really been proven. But in this case, us taking a risk really paid off. And I think because of the lack of dialogue, it's actually found the bigger audience. There's something quite universal about it that everyone can understand, and having these characters behave like real animals makes it a lot more emotional and intense. And it just becomes a more interesting story.
SIMON: Without giving too much away, there's a particularly spectacular scene when one of the animals is in trouble. And all the other animals join together to tug on a rope, each with their different gifts and different strengths. Am I wrong - and I don't want to use a word like lesson or message - but does this show when we - I don't know - come together, great things are possible?
ZILBALODIS: Yeah. I think these characters wouldn't have made it through this journey on their own. And they have differences, and they argue and fight. But yeah, ultimately, they kind of find a common way forwards. But it's important that we get to be part of this story. It isn't a simple message. It's something that I'm trying to kind of provoke discussions and ask questions as much as telling you exactly what to feel. And so that's why there are some things left open for the viewer to interpret.
SIMON: Can you tell us about this, I gather, software source called Blender that you used to make the film?
ZILBALODIS: Yes. We used free open-sourced software called Blender, which means that anyone can have access to these tools nowadays. Any kid can download this software for free and make films with the same tools that we make these kind of feature films shown in theaters. And it's just as good as a tool as any of the more expensive tools out there. But yeah, this allowed us to work on a more modest independent budget. It's a very flexible tool. I don't think maybe we couldn't have done this in the traditional way, whether in terms of the technology, but also in terms of how films are produced.
SIMON: And what does it mean, Mr. Zilbalodis, to be nominated for an Oscar?
ZILBALODIS: It's a huge honor. Of course, it's the first time anyone from Latvia has ever been nominated. So back home, everyone's very much following every little nugget of news that comes out of this whole award season. So we actually won the Golden Globe, and the statue was exhibited at the National Museum of Art in Latvia. So people waited even for an hour in line to see it. So it was a huge kind of cultural sensation here. This really is amazing not just for Latvia, but I think this will open up a lot of doors for independent filmmakers to tell their stories in places where there isn't maybe a big industry.
SIMON: Gints Zilbalodis is the director of "Flow," in theaters now. Thank you so much for being with us.
ZILBALODIS: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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