Latvia is full of love for the Flow kitty

Flow, the Latvian animated movie about a kitty navigating through a gorgeous, yet eerie, post-apocalyptic, flooded world, is getting all the love it deserves. Not only was the movie nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards; it’s also up for Best International Feature. (This is only the second time that a movie has been nominated for both those categories, following Flee in 2022).

And no one seems happier about the success of Flow than the people of Latvia. Earlier this year, the movie became the most viewed film ever in Latvian cinemas, including big foreign blockbusters like Titanic and Avatar: The Way of Water. There’s also now an official page for the cat on the Latvian tourism website.

But that love is extending out of the theaters and into the streets. For instance, director Gints Zilbalodis, sculptor Kristaps Andersons, and the city of Rīga collaborated on a sculpture installment. The dark grey cat is perched atop letters that spell Rīga, set right outside the capital city’s Freedom Monument. The kitty will be on display in front of the monument till April, before moving to Town Hall Square.

In addition to official collaborations, there’s also an organic love for Flow. Zilbalodis posted graffiti of Flow’s main character, spotted on the streets of Rīga. Look at the widdle kitty! (Well, I guess it’s big since it’s on a wall, but still — it’s a baby!)

If you haven’t yet watched one of the best animated movies of 2024, Flow hits Max this Friday, and is currently available on VOD.