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straume / flow (2024) - by Gints Zilbalodis

i have so many thoughts about this movie

you see, the thing about flow - first of all, its such a profound, exceptional, unique movie, and it will always have a very, very special place in my heart, but i've actually only seen it once and, even though i desperately want to, i don't think i will see it again, at least not in the immediate future, because the emotional journey it took me on when i first watched it was craaazy, i started tearing up at like the three minute mark because i immediately was like "that's me! i'm the cat! the cat is me!" and i kept watching and i saw my dear friends and family in the other animals and even though i knew i was watching a movie about animals, it felt like it was about me and my struggles with anxiety and the water was the anxiety which can be avoided or managed but sometimes it just consumes you and you're terrified and confused and disoriented but then a friend pulls you out of the water and you're safe again... and the movie just kept on throwing these simple scenes that could've been interpreted as something so much more at me and it looked beautiful and it sounded amazing and i don't think i've ever felt as many things in such a short time span as that day

but that's not all, folks

this movie for me as a young person from latvia has become like a symbol of hope and dreams and the importance of dedication and hard work, and i definitely feel like since straume or flow has become more and more successful everyone around me has become just a little bit more confident about their own skills and what they can bring to the table because a while ago we were mostly thinking "well, we're such a small country, what can we even achieve here" but lately we've had some good years with amazing accomplishments in sport and art and music and it's just... it's genuinely amazing and makes you appreciate everyone who dedicates themselves to their craft and creates or does something extraordinary not because of fame or money but just because they are passionate about it and this oscar is just like the cherry on the cake and im just so proud of zilbalodis and his team and i truly hope this brings many more success stories from my little country and i cannot wait to be proud of those people too

so yeah - many feelings about and around the masterpiece that is flow, i am so thankful this movie exists and has found an audience and is so, so loved by everyone