The 2016 Seattle International Film Festival screening audience was
transported to Istanbul, Turkey (English captions) to view a documentary
about the cats who have populated the city for centuries. The citizens
think their cats jumped off sailing ships that came from Norway.
Director Ceyda Torun has captured a fascinating series of profiles that
feature cats and the people who share their city. I expected to see a
film about feral cats, but all of these cats are socialized. In fact,
they have a proprietary attitude about their city. The people seem to be
there to serve THEM! The cats expect to be fed and petted, and then
LEFT ALONE.
We become familiar with a number of unique cats, see their
personalities in action and hear their stories from the people who care
for them. The photography is amazing, the editing is wonderful and the
script is entertaining. We learn that not all the cats are sweet, in
fact, one is described as "the neighborhood psychopath," but he doesn't
lack for fans who are more than willing to provide the tough love he
demands. We see one female defend her territory and drive some flirty
intruder away from her mate while a cowed dog huddles between his
owner's legs.
Expect to see cats prowling, walking, strolling,
running, begging, greeting boats on the river, feeding their kittens, and keeping the mouse
population under control for restaurants. One woman says communicating
with a cat is like communicating with an alien, but when a link is made
it's "mystical." These people LOVE their cats.
By the way, during the final credit scroll, all of the cats we met are named by name! I even recognized some of them...