Kedi Review: Cats have slowly and insidiously been taking over the internet in the last few years, now they seek to take over the movie world in new documentary Kedi.
Kedi review, by Kat Hughes, June 2017.
Kedi review
Directed by Ceyda Torun, Kedi tells the tales of many of the street cats of Istanbul, and the people who look out for them. For hundreds, if not thousands of years, Istanbul has had street cats. Belonging to no-one and everyone, these animals survive the street life with help from the humans around them and in return enrich the lives of those that they encounter.
Typically a documentary has an agenda, some kind of cause or issue that the filmmakers are seeking to highlight. These hidden motives tend to turn a lot of folks off of the genre all together, but in Kedi they might just find one that they can watch without feeling like something is being expecting from them. Kedi is simply a collection of stories from the natives of Istanbul about the cats that form part of their everyday lives.
Kedi review
Kedi is a heartwarming film that shows the bond that exists between human and animal, both halves of each story are clearly benefiting from their partnerships. The cats, are of course getting a source of food, but also attention, affection and security, all very important things to a street cat. The people are getting companionship, but also something much deeper; several of the interviewees tell of how cats have changed their lives. There’s one man who started helping cats after having suffered a nervous breakdown and now believes the cats helped heal him. Another tells of how a cat helped him discover a sum of money when he was down on his luck. Some of these stories are remarkable, all are charming. Each featured at least one cat that has an abundance of personality, and it’s easy to see why they’ve become such highly regarded local celebrities.
Kedi review
It’s not just the cats or people that will charm you, the cinematography is beautiful, capturing the serenity of dawn, dusk and early evening whilst also demonstrating the hustle and bustle of busy city life. The footage captured of the kitties is also superb, there’s a great segment underground following one of the clan of Aslan Parçasi as he hunts for mice. Then there’s a stunningly shot battle for territory between Gamsiz and a rival tom cat. The standout though has to be how close the team managed to get to new mother Sari as they follow her on a hunt for food as she provides for her small family. Backing up the lovely scenery is a lively score that keeps the pace moving. It’s bold and alive, again reflecting the feline film stars to a tee.
Kedi review
The format – introduction to cat, cat’s story, rinse and repeat – will have some getting a little restless. This isn’t a narrative film and Kedi has a very laissez faire attitude, much like the cats, and the whole thing feels relaxed, it doesn’t concern itself with getting anyplace fast.
Related: A Street Cat Named Bob review
It goes without saying, but if you’re not a cat fan you should probably give Kedi a miss. There’s barely a frame of the film that doesn’t feature a furry feline. If you are a cat fanatic however, then this is most definitely the ticket for you. There are cats and kittens galore, and at moments you may find yourself suffering from cuteness overload. Each of the feline subjects get a portion of the feature dedicated to telling their story and each one has their own distinct personality which translates on the screen. The stories themselves are interesting and as varied as the markings of the cats.
A heart-warming, charming affair that cat lovers will fall head-over-heels for.
Kedi review, by Kat Hughes, June 2017.
Kedi arrives in UK cinemas on Friday 30th June 2017.
