With its detailed portraits of seven of Istanbul’s most adored felines, Kedi affirms what anyone who’s spent some time with a cat will know: they really do all have fully-fledged, complex personalities of their own. More than just a celebration of some supremely cute kitties, though, this documentary about the city’s teeming street cat population also presents a moving example of a way of living that embraces — rather than tramples over — our animal neighbors.
Immersive cinematography from the cats’ eye levels is weaved with interviews with the people who care for them, whether voluntarily or because the cats simply demand it. That independence emerges as a much-admired characteristic in the documentary; as one interviewee puts it, “Dogs think people are God, but cats don’t. They’re not ungrateful, they just know better.” It’s impossible not to read a wistful note in the interviewees’ odes — indeed, for many of the people featured here, cats are a point of spiritual and personal reconnection, a reminder of what life is really about underneath all the mind-numbing dross we’ve made up. The magic of Kedi is that it not only perceptively recognizes the healing effect that cats have on humans, but recreates it so that these 70-something minutes feel like therapy.
"Kedi ('cat' in Turkish) is much more than a cute film showing these felines' day-to-day lives."
— Manuela Lazic
"Though technically a sophisticated, artful documentary from Turkish filmmaker Ceyda Torun, Kedi will automatically find devout fans among anyone who delights at all things feline."
— Eric Kohn
A profile of Istanbul and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.
A profile of some of Istanbul’s most popular residents — its cats — and the life-affirming effects they have on their human neighbors.
The cats, of course. Lest anyone doubt that a handful of kitties are compelling enough characters to sustain an entire film, the feline personalities featured here — from the adorably tenacious Gamsiz to a tough cat dubbed “the neighborhood psychopath” by her fans — are more than enough evidence to convince skeptics.
Dog fans, you have 24 hours to respond.
