Kedi

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.

"Kedi" (2016 release from Turkey; 80 min.) is a documentary about the thousands of stray cats (street cats) all over Istanbul. As the movie opens, we get a fabulous aerial view of the city, and then get to know a number of cats, starting with a female cat who is out hunting food on the streets, not for herself but as it turns out for her small kittens who are anxiously waiting her return. And that's just the start of this...

Couple of comments: if you don't care for cats, then by all means do yourself a favor and seek out another movie. If on the other hand you love cats, you are in for an absolutely delightful treat. Apparently as we learn in this film, Istanbul, itself a huge metropolis, is home to many street cats, and the city's population (at least for the most part) has taken upon itself to care for these cats, and to outright love them. The movie focuses on a handful of cats, all of them with their own personality (the "fish thief", the "carefree", the "flirt", etc.). A number of shots are filmed from the cat's perspective (i.e. close to ground level). Along the way, we get a fabulous look of what day-to-day life in Istanbul is like. At one point a woman comments "it is difficult for women to express their femininity in this country, but the cats do it so gracefully", a dig as to the social environment for women in Turkey, even in a cosmopolitan city like Istanbul. But in the end, it's all about the cats: they hunt, they play, they roam the streets, they fight, they climb, and along the way they steal your heart.

I had heard a glowing review of "Kedi" on NPR a week or two ago and when "Kedi" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday evening where I saw this at was PACKED, much to my surprise, and the audience absolutely LOVED the movie, laughing out loud many times throughout the movie. After the movie was over, I couldn't wait to get home, where I knew my beloved cat Mimic would be waiting for me ;-) If you love cats, you don't want to miss this, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray. "Kedi" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

You forget Turkey's difficult politics watching this documentary by Turkish filmmaker Ceyda Torun and cinematographer Charlie Wuppermann about Istanbul's Big Romance with—cats! (What did you think "Kedi" means?) At an hour twenty-minutes, the film is somewhat longer than it might be, but as a vacation from the news cycle, perhaps not long enough. The residents of Istanbul don't "own" most of the cats that roam their streets and markets, that nest in quiet places and makeshift hideaways. But they more than tolerate them, they celebrate them. And the cats, meanwhile, act like "slumming royals," says Joe Leydon in Variety. You can see the cast here. A number of the featured felines rule the neighborhoods where they live, defending their turf against interlopers and providing benefits to the humans. "They absorb my negative energy," one man says. A waterside restaurant owner who'd had a problem with "mice" (I fear this was a euphemism) celebrated the day "this lion took up residence." She takes care of the "mice," to the comfort of the diners, I'm sure. My particular favorite was the cat who lives at a deli. She never goes inside, but paws at the window—rather insistently, it should be noted—when she wants one of the countermen to make her a snack. The filmmakers identified a number of the city's human residents whose mission seems to be to keep these felines in food. One pair of women cooks twenty pounds of chicken a day for them. (!) "All of us have tabs with all the vets," says a bakery owner, and we see a man take an injured kitten to the vet in a taxi.. In short, the film is charming. It talks about how cats are different than dogs. And it shows how caring for the cats has been helpful to people in many ways. Suitable for all ages, and especially for those who have—or wish they had—been to Istanbul and now are reluctant to go because of paragraph one above. As Leydon says, it's "splendidly graceful and quietly magical."

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.

I normally steer well clear of any film involving our animal friends as something terrible usually happens to them. It is upsetting enough in real life without having to endure it in a film as well. Kedi is not like that & you can safely watch without fear of any sadness. It might even restore your faith in human beings. The people who interact with the cats in this documentary are all kind. Even the big rough & tough fishermen have a caring approach to the animals. With so many documentaries around about people doing awful things to other people & things it is extremely refreshing to have something like this film to give some balance. I had a smile on my face the entire two hour run time. If you are an animal person, especially if you like cats, I absolutely, highly recommend this lovely documentary to you.