Latvian director Gints Zilbalodis and his dog win hearts with adorable reaction to Flow’s historic Oscar nominations

In a clip posted on his social media, Zilbalodis is casually munching on an apple as the nominations are announced. Sitting by his side is his fluffy golden retriever, who becomes the star of the moment when Zilbalodis starts petting and cuddling him in celebration.

Captioning the video, the filmmaker wrote, “Flow director and dog react to Oscar nominations.”

Watch the wholesome reaction:

 

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A post shared by Gints Zilbalodis (@gzilbalodis)

The video immediately caught the attention of netizens. One user commented, “I‘d give him an Oscar just for this charming reaction to his nomination alone.” Another individual wrote, “This is the only nomination I cared about out, so well deserved!”

A third user commented, “Oh God, this celebration is so very Latvian quiet style. My heart was touched.” A fourth person remarked, “I just realized the dog in your movie is based off your real doggy.”

Flow (Latvian: Straume) is an independent animated fantasy adventure film released in 2024, directed by Zilbalodis and co-written by him alongside Matīss Kaža. The fact that it was created entirely using Blender, a free and open-source software, and unfolds without a single line of dialogue sets the film apart. The story follows a cat whose world is turned upside down by a catastrophic flood. Stranded on a boat teeming with diverse animal species, the cat must navigate challenges and learn to work with its unlikely companions to endure the journey.