Kedi : Des chats et des hommes

"Cats (unlike dogs) know that we're not God. They know we're just the middlemen." Interviewee

Let your inner cat take over and roam Istanbul with director Ceyda Torun as she produces a lovely documentary about the charmed lives of the 100,000 or more cats that benignly people the famous Turkish city. By focusing on the lives of seven cats, Torun effectively characterizes all those privileged felines.

Although this doc, Kedi (Turkish for "cat"), doesn't negate the generally accepted aloofness of cats or their notorious independence, it brings them alive as individual felines with attributes to make us love each one differently. Memorable are Psikopat (as in "psychopath"), a tough wife to a similar tuxedo, who fears her wrath, and Sari, an orange and white who cleverly forages for her beautiful brood.

As lovable as all the animal stars of this entertaining documentary are, the humans who take care of the cats (when they let them) are almost as affecting. The interviewees come forward with sayings and observations that are at times lovingly profound and at others just shy of New Age: "I heal my wounds by healing theirs," says one cat lover after cooking 20 pounds of chicken for a daily entourage of appreciative strays.

This tone poem's veracity is slightly compromised by having minimal conflicts as the cats intrude multiple ways on Istanbul life. Kedi is a lyrical expression of love, but I've never heard of a city so pristine, virtually immaculate, while also having a robust street life that accommodates felines in such luxury. I guess I'll have to see for myself someday.

If you see Kedi, you will seek out boxes of kitties on street corners forever condemning you to cute and cool little beings never more alluring than on the streets of Istanbul.

"Cats are the runes of beauty, invincibility, wonder, pride, freedom, coldness, self-sufficiency, and dainty individuality - the qualities of sensitive, enlightened, mentally developed, pagan, cynical, poetic, philosophic, dispassionate, reserved, independent, Nietzschean, unbroken, civilised, master-class men." H. P. Lovecraft

It's nice to see how appreciated the street cats on Istanbul are for the citizens. This documentation shows the different characters of the cats and how people live with them on the streets. It's a very nice movie, surely made of cat lovers - people who care about cats. The cats behavior is told in an interesting way. I would have given it a full 10/10 if it had a more suspending background music. I did like the stories of the portrayed street cats. Cats are soooo cute! :D

This movie made me fall in love with my cats again. The beautiful cinematography and the limited story line was a treat to watch. I have always admired Turkey and after watching this I want to be there as quick as possible. Cat lovers are special people and we can see so many sweet people in there. I smiled so much looking at them with tears in my eyes. Thank you for this.

Kedi is a must watch for all cat lovers. The culture of Istanbul and how cats are an integral part of it is astonishing. The humans speak frankly about how they love cats and how it affects their lives in a positive way. But through their words, it's the joy of sharing their love for cats that we see the most, cats are a significant part of their lives that keep them alive inside among all the chaos in the world. For some people, this new perspective would only be felt if they watch this film. There's some mesmerizing camera work throughout the film. The cat level shots, symmetric shots sometimes using mirrors and windows, the close-up shots of cats, the ariel shots etc and all this is in a documentary about street level cats. It must've been one hell of a job making this film. There are nine cats featured in here but they had shot much more than that. Ceyda Torun is definitely a talent to look out for in the future.

I am a huge cat person so I was naturally invested in this documentary, and I don't recall ever seeing something on the subject of Istanbul and its hugely unique population of cats, which I found immensely engrossing. It is my dream to one day travel far across and meet that beautiful city and witness the grandness of its majestic cats, everywhere on sight. Speaking about the documentary itself, it narrates visually through the eyes of many felines that wander through the city freely, and we hear wonderful stories from its owners, or rather, the people who look after and care for them as they come and go willingly.

It's compelling how all these people are connected to cats, and how they are a part of everyone's daily life, they can't imagine their lives without their existence. It sends a powerful message of union which intensifies the image of these magnificent creatures and also the people, because it is not all about cats, it's a charming combination of them plus the beautiful Istanbul and its marvelous, caring people.

So, even if you are not a cat person, this documentary provides useful insight on what cats are really like, although I should tell you that there is absolutely nothing like experiencing it for yourself, and building a connection with your cat companion, which is truly unique. Nevertheless this sort of helps you understand them in a way. But there is a difference, because most cats in Instanbul live at liberty, that is not the case for me because I own two cats which live with me in my house, which I'm sure it is the case for many people across the world. So in more than one way, Istanbul is really a special place.

Highly recommend Kedi, which is the Turkish word for "cat". Your welcome.