Documentary about the street cats of Istanbul and is like nothing else you’ll see this year

REVIEW: The cute and charismatic cats of Istanbul will have you purring with delight in the unique documentary Kedi.

KEDI (G)

Director: Ceyda Torun (documentary debut)

Starring: Bengu, Psikopat, Duman, Gamsiz, Sari, Aslan, Deniz

Rating: Four-and-a-half stars

Verdict: From a whisker to a screen

THIS much we already know: cats rule the internet.

What may not be common knowledge is that hundreds of thousands of street cats have ruled the city of Istanbul for several decades now.

This captivating documentary casts a serenely powerful spell as it explores the extraordinary bond shared between the Turkish city’s omnipresent four-pawed nomads and the humans who look after them.

First-time director Ceyda Torun has achieved something truly magical here, and you do not have to be a “cat person” to get where she is coming from. Or, for that matter, where the seven charismatic felines Torun closely follows are heading on a daily basis.

Thanks to some remarkably fluid ground-level camerawork, we come to realise each cat has a place to get to, a person to see, and reasons for coming and going that are as unique as their own vivid personalities.

The documentary film Kedi, about the free-roaming felines of Istanbul, is a must-see, even for non cat people.

As we get to know the real stars of the show in Kedi (the Turkish word for cat, trivia buffs) we come to notice they all share one thing in common. As stray animals, they should seemingly belong to no one. However, these purring loveable rogues actually belong to the whole of Istanbul.

Each viewer will have their own fave, but it is mighty hard to go past the tabby Bengu, a new mother with a busy litter to both feed and protect. Somehow she can cover several kilometres a day in search of food, and still be ready to pounce should a predator come lurking near her kitties.

Documentary film Kedi is a must-see even if you are not a cat lover.

Soft spots should also be reserved for Psikopat, a moody moggy who does not suffer human fools lightly; Duman, a posh type who will only dine at the one pricey deli; and Gamsiz, a happy-go-lucky wanderer who knows every good sleeping, sunbaking and supping spot all over town.

A calm, contemplative and all-embracing experience, Kedi is quite unlike anything else you will see in 2017.

A meow-sterpiece, no less.

Originally published as Documentary about the street cats of Istanbul and is like nothing else you’ll see this year