PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EMBASSY OF TURKEY

Cats rule the internet. Thanks to video sharing sites like YouTube and our neverending amusement with feline antics, individual cats like Grumpy Cat and Maru have become household names. In Kedi (the Turkish word for cat), Turkish-American filmmaker Ceyda Torun takes cat obsession to a whole new level by taking us to a world where cats rule the city of Istanbul.

Street cats have been Istanbul icons for centuries, capturing almost Japanese levels of reverence in Turkish culture. Case in point: after his death in August 2016, Tombili, the beloved rotund Istanbul feline made internationally famous by the ‘Chill cat’ meme, was immortalised in statue form after a successful petition by residents of his neighbourhood.

Torun follows the antics of a group of street cats in Istanbul over a number of months, observing their various personalities and their interactions with everyday lives of the people who care for them. Istanbul’s streetscapes and UNESCO world heritage sites also shine through the gorgeous cinematography in all their resplendence, so there’s plenty to admire even if you’re not a cat person.
So grab a pide or a gozleme for dinner and come along to Film Group for a feline armchair travel adventure!