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Cats are mysterious animals. Some call it dumb, some consider it smart. Even some parties believe that cats are aware of their existence as human beings. The truth is difficult to ascertain, obviously, many Istanbul people agree on that. Kedi (from Turkish, meaning cat) by director Ceyda Torun highlights how human interaction with Istanbul street cats amounts to thousands. Starting "flooding" the city since the Ottoman era through Norwegian sailor ships, these mammals were initially present to help residents cope with rat attacks. Hundreds of years ago, mutualism symbiosis survived and then developed into a love story.

In Kedi, we see wild cats wandering around the city, interacting with people rather than disturbed, even being happy. Whether it's just teasing, caressing, to providing food even if it's not your own pet. Cats are like friends, even love for these people. If Hindus in India look to a sacred animal cow, the Istanbul cat is so loved because it is thought to form life there. Torun is able to create a peaceful atmosphere through harmony between living things, when humans get happiness thanks to the will of loving simple things, including caring for a cat. So warm and solemn Torun describes Istanbul. In one scene, a resident finds a small cat injured and quickly responds to take him to the hospital. An unscripted moment that has a major impact injects emotions, In addition to the atmosphere, in fact the cat helped form humans in this city. Several interviewees at a glance revealed having experienced psychological disorders in the past and the activity of taking care of cats became a panacea. For example a man who claimed to have suffered a nervous breakdown, unable to socialize let alone smile. Until the activity of feeding hundreds of wild cats all over the city catered to him, bringing a happy laugh. While the story of other citizens also linked the cat with the development of various social sides of Istanbul. Beginning the issue of feminism contains anxiety of a woman, to modernization that threatens the harmony of nature and its population.

The audience was invited to recognize the seven cats, namely Sari, Duman, Bengü, Aslan Parçasi, Gamsiz, Psikopat, and Deniz, with the different story from each citizen. Characteristics, properties, to the whimsical details of each cat are fully described. Even the memory of the first encounter was kept clear. As we all do, they like to do ad-lib, stringing stories based on observations of cat's behaviour and situations. There are fierce females who "master" the husband, there is also the seizure of the territory of two cats. Torun is good at playing visual, jelly capture precise moments so that the audience culminate in believing the above events are real, true. The arrangement of the cinematographer duo camera of Alp Korfali and Charlie Wuppermann also moves agile and at the same time is able to put the audience in various perspectives including parallel to the cats, as if they were following them.

Kedi is definitely perfect for cat lovers. It can be light entertainment from the result of seeing their cuteness or the process of observation and deeper understanding of the pet in the other side of the world. For general audiences true similar, though ultimately potentially a bit tiring because in addition to a series of information that may be obtained, the majority of the film is only filled with cats roam in every corner of the city. Includes a five-minute epilogue when the true story is over but Torun forces adds a prolonged repetitive scenery shot. But at a time when love between living things is becoming increasingly rare, the Kedi that reconciles these feelings needs to be listened to. 

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RATING (8/10)

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