Blu-Ray Review: KEDI

Starring more cats than the Surgeon General recommends. Directed by Ceyda Torun. (2016, 80 min).

OSCILLOSCOPE

Can you guess what we thought of Kedi?

Istanbul has a long, rich history and has been known by many previous names. Straddling the borders of Europe and Asia, it is Turkey's largest city and country's cultural & economic hub. According to this documentary, it has also been the home to thousands of free-roaming cats for centuries.

Though most of them aren't quite strays, these animals appear to have a unique relationship with their community, an unspoken arrangement on how to live compatibly: You feed me, take care of my basic needs and let me come-and-go as I please, and in return I'll enrich your lives with my presence. Everyone appears quite happy with this agreement.

All good movies have a big fight scene.

Kedi is a congenial, beautifully-shot film about these cats and their unusual relationship with various people and communities throughout the city. We get to know several selected cats quite well, each with their own unique personalities, from friendly & charming to bossy & territorial. We also meet some of the people they've formed attachments to, who feed and care for them (occasionally saving their lives). Yet these animals aren't pets; they have become too accustomed to freedom and have made the entire city their home.

How charming one finds these critters and their stories depends largely on one's inherent love for cats (not-to-mention their diva-like personalities). As for us...our site's name alone should tell you what we think. Kedi is a wonderful, affectionate look at how one of our most common companions have become part of a city's culture. It almost makes one want to visit Istanbul. This film is a must-own for cat lovers everywhere.

I wish my own cats were this amusing.

EXTRA KIBBLES

MAKING-OF FEATURETTES

DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES & OUTTAKES

AUDIO COMMENTARY by director Ceyda Torun, cinematographer/producer Charlie Wuppermann & editor Mo Stroebe.

AUDIO COMMENTARY by the cats (really...it's a batch of cats meowing).

TRAILER

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEE-OW! LIKE TAUNTING A MOUSE TO DEATH