On Wednesday, 10 December, Latvijas Banka will issue a silver collector coin Flow, featuring the characters from the Oscar-winning animated film that have won hearts worldwide. Adding to its uniqueness, the coin's graphic design is the result of a creative collaboration between Gints Zilbalodis, the film's director, and Pēteris Tenisons, the animation artist.
The coin Flow honours the animated film that has received the most prestigious award in the film industry – the Oscar. Gints Zilbalodis has spent half his life with the story of a solitary cat's relationship with water, progressing from the short film Aqua (2012) to the triumph of Flow (2024). The artist admits that, while he has lived as a loner like the cat, he has learned to collaborate with others, not only in Latvia, but also in France and Belgium. This experience has allowed him to showcase the power of independent animation on the world stage, achieving brilliance with modest resources.
One side of the coin features the iconic dark grey cat, while the other – five friends, each distinct yet side by side, bound by an unforgettable experience. Between the two sides – a breathtaking odyssey, as they share a single boat, fleeing the floods. This is the animated film Flow, directed by Gints Zilbalodis, that has won more than 80 awards, including an Academy Award ("Oscar") in the United States.
The film's characters also embark on a journey within themselves: the free-thinking cat learns to confront challenges head-on, the friendly dog frees itself from pack instincts, the noble secretarybird is ready to sacrifice itself for the sake of others, the lemur, a collector of shiny objects, dares to seek friends beyond its tribe, and the loyal capybara remains calm even in a storm. Together, they overcome shared fears for survival, as well as their own individual anxieties: fear of water, of those who are different, of having to share, of the uncertainty of the next moment… A moving testament to the life-saving power of cooperation and friendship.
The film Flow continues to travel the world's cinemas, wordlessly posing riddles and stirring the waters of the soul, no matter how different we may be in the same boat.
The silver collector coin will be available for purchase on the website e-monetas.lv from 12:00 (noon) on 10 December. The price of the coin is EUR 77.00; the purchase limit for one buyer will be 3 coins. The mintage of the coin is 6000. The coin was struck by Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt (the Netherlands).
Latvijas Banka would like to thank the team of the animated film Flow for their cooperation in the creation of the collector coin and its accompanying informational materials.