For the first Snap Judgment of the year, I would like to talk to you about a movie that instantly gained a deeply-entrenched place in my heart: "Kedi" (2017).
For those of us needing a little refresher, in Snap Judgments I distill my reaction to movies down to five bullet points, hoping to capture the most impactful elements of a film before giving my usual 1-5 score.
Let's dive in, shall we?
- Incredible cat footage
True to its title (Turkish for "cat"), this film is first and foremost a love letter to the street cats of Istanbul.
"Kedi" takes a case study approach, stitching together a series of vignettes of different cats living in the streets of the city.
The film's adoration for its subject is expressed through stunningly beautiful and intimate footage of each featured cat as it goes about its daily life, climbing to rooftops, strolling along streets, lounging on front stoops, slipping through tiny openings in fences to find the little secret den where their litter of tiny kittens awaits.
The quality and closeness of the documentation in this film is awe-inspiring, especially given the independence and privacy of the creatures at its center. Through this close study, the personality nuances of each cat are revealed. Each is treasured for it individuality such that it cannot be dismissed as just another street cat. Each is unique, and each matters.
- An introduction to Istanbul
One of the cats' most prominent co-stars in "Kedi" is the city of Istanbul itself.
The cat vignettes are interspersed with breathtaking shots of the port city's skylines and beautiful architecture, giving you an introduction not only to the feline inhabitants of the city but to the city as a whole.
- Gorgeous music
"Kedi"'s soundtrack is a mix of charming, upbeat Turkish pop and wonderful original compositions by Kira Fontana, who has beautifully adopted the acoustic qualities of her mentor Steve Reich (who wrote one of my all-time favorite pieces of music) and created an evocative, atmospheric soundscape to match and enhance the arresting visual content of the film.
- Poetic testimony of cat-love
Each cat vignette is paired with interviews from the people who love and care for them. These interviews, in which citizens of Istanbul describe how they met the cats and what makes them care for cats so deeply, are one of the more unexpected pleasant surprises of the movie.
While hearing people wax on about cats might sound like a great recipe for eye-roll-inducing cliches, each person in "Kedi" has their own fresh perspective on the admirable and inspiring attributes of the animals they love. It's extremely pleasurable hearing the myriad ways in which people have come to adore creatures who may otherwise have been overlooked, and to hear the virtues, dignity, resilience, and strength of cats uplifted.
- A much-needed antidote to Toxic Masculinity
Finally, the most welcome surprise of "Kedi": the men of Istanbul who love cats.
Several of the featured cats have male caretakers. Because of dumb gender stereotypes dictating that dogs are for dudes and cats are for ladies, this in itself was incredibly refreshing. But particularly in an era in which toxic masculinity is constantly ruining the party (and winning elections after bragging about sexual assault), it was a much-needed and deeply moving experience to watch men care for, love, and admire cats.
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| Gorgeous feminist needle point care of this artist. Apt feminist slogan care of these artists. |
The men featured in "Kedi," describe their affection for the cats they care for in the same breath with which they express their respect for the cats' independence, pride, and self-sufficiency. They describe how caring for cats has saved their lives and given them purpose--how, in one man's case, a cat's intervention in his life gave him proof of the divine's influence in his life.
Then men in "Kedi" mobilize time, money, and energy to care for the animals they love, illustrating what is happily a globally spreading trend. Maybe it seems silly, but listening to and watching thoughtful, generous, caring men dedicate themselves to caring for animals who are symbols of femininity was exactly the antidote to our current era I'd been needing.
All hail cat-loving men!
In closing, and in agreement with a much-deserved certified fresh rating, I gave "Kedi" a 5.
Enjoy!
{Heart}
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