6,000th Film

Justacinephile – Alexander Wiley – 5 January 2025

“Flow” (2024) directed by Gints Zilbalodis and made in Latvia: A cat makes an unlikely friendship with a dog, capybara, lemur, and secretary bird to survive a perilous flood.

On December 7, 2024, Amy, Athena, and I made it to an afternoon movie at Alamo Drafthouse in Springfield, MO. We decided to see the animated film, “Flow” because it sounded like something Athena might like because it featured a cat. We settled into our seats with our lovely daughter nestled between us in her own seat. Amy and I will cherish this moment because this is the first time we all made it to the theater as a family.

As the movie started, we saw it was not a “normal” animated film about a cat. The protagonist, Cat, found itself in perilous situations where its eyes got big and showed immense fear. This, naturally, upset Athena and she had to take a break from the movie with Amy. I stayed left for a little bit, but we all returned to the theater to finish the film.

“Flow” is one of the most beautifully and exquisitely made films I’ve seen in a long time. The imagery combined with a booming score sunk me into the story and tugged me along for the ride. The cinematography and storytelling are on par with films such as “Hero”, “Life of Pi”, “Spider-man: Across the Spiderverse”, “Portrait of the Lady on Fire”, “Aliens”, “Gone with the Wind”, “Akira”, “The Lion King”, and “The Iron Giant.”

This film became the 6,000th film on my journey to enjoy 10,000 feature length films. It’s wonderful to enjoy it with my family. This goal is unique, and I love sharing it with my students, family, friends, and fellow movie lovers. I love getting recommendations from family, friends, movie lovers, social media, articles, and many more sources. It’s easier to see a movie recommended by someone else than finding a random movie on my own. This is why I love movies – it creates a common connection. I’ve met people around the world who recommended many different films to me and I put them on my “to see list”.

My perspective on my movie journey changed since I became a father. My priorities are Athena and Amy. When I have some spare time, such as when I’m writing this, I put a movie on; however, my obsession with watching and traveling to see movies is not high on my list. Yes, I still love movies, but fatherhood is beyond important to me. Businesses, tennis, teaching, filmmaking, traveling, house projects, everyday life, and friends & family also take precedence over my movie watching. Therefore, when I sit down to watch a movie, I’m more selective in my choice of movie compared to previous years.

This is a splendid journey to see 10,000 feature length films. It’s an adventure!  I love you, Amy & Athena!