‘Kedi’
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Kedi is a feature length documentary about the free roaming cats of Istanbul and the people with whom they interact. It was released in 2017 and is streamed in Australia by Apple TV. This intriguing documentary was recommended by my brother Michael and his wife Anne, who share their magnificent cat friendly home with two larger than life cats. But this film is not just for cat lovers — it has much to offer most of us.
The cinematography in Kedi provides a terrific glimpse of Istanbul’s many magical neighbourhoods and river. In so doing it evokes fond memories in those of us lucky enough to have visited this ancient city linking Asia and Europe. We discover that for centuries thousands of cats have inhabited Istanbul — free of human ownership, yet not feral. The diversity of feline breeds also evidences their arrival by ship from many distant ports.
The film follows seven such cats and uncovers their very distinct personalities and habits. We are also introduced to the people most associated with each cat. Each of the people offer their perspective on the cat they have befriended, feed, or on which they otherwise lavish their love. These eclectic and fascinating residents of Istanbul express their respect for the independence of the cats and stress how they have benefited from their association with them.
I found the stories of the people to be unexpectedly moving and inspiring. They also left me reassured by their insightfulness, sense of care, and compassion, as expressed and demonstrated. One of the interviewees offered a humorous insight into the nature of cats, and how it differed from that of dogs. He suggested that because cats were aware of God, while dogs believed that people were God, cats did not feel obliged to obey human commands.
The film also left this viewer reviewing our society’s concepts of care, usually intertwined with a reciprocal benefit, and it’s stark contrast to the selfless, unconditional care and assistance offered by these residents of Istanbul. In addition the film subtly questioned the humanity and benefit of economic growth and development and the replacement of the old by the new. The thought provoking interviews were brief, interesting and tended to enhance rather than detract from the film.
This film about cats is a visually stunning introduction to this exotic city. Often filmed from a cat’s perspective, the film allows viewers to meet residents of Istanbul who don’t feature in tourist brochures, yet through their interaction with the cats, do much to renew our hopes for humanity.
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