Kedi

Awesome Movie
What a great look at how the stray cats are cared for in Istanbul. Greece has the same situation, it’s a really interesting to see the interaction between the people and the cats. We loved it, I watched it twice!

Highly informative from a cultural perspective
When I first saw the trailer for Kedi, I thought it was potentially interesting but also kind of corny. The trailer highlighted seven cats identified by name and appeared to make characters out of them. This struck me as sentimental in a way that made me a bit skeptical of the video’s academic value. I did not bother to watch it at that time.I eventually forgot about the video until I met with an anthropology professor who came from Turkey. We talked about attitudes toward animals in different cultures, especially cats in Turkey. The professor then told me that I have to watch this video. With that endorsement, I ordered the DVD (you can find it on YouTube but English subtitles are not available there). Now I am very glad that I did. I plan to show it to a class I am teaching.Kedi shows the cultural significance of cats in Istanbul, a city of 15 million. The cultural attitude toward cats there is much different than it is here. The attitude is positive; cats are free-roaming but are not considered vermin like rats. They do not consider you crazy if you love cats. There is no gender bias, either. Cats are not associated primarily with women as they are in the US; men can still be considered manly if they show affection to cats. Islam encourages people to be kind to animals, and although this value is not enforced in all places, it is highly emphasized in Istanbul.The people in this video talk very much about the unique personalities of the cats. It is clear that they recognize them as subjects and individuals. They describe the cats’ individuality as existing independently of the cats’ interactions with humans; the cats are their own beings. In contrast, I frequently hear pet owners in the US describing their pets’ personalities in terms of how the pets interact with humans. Another difference is that people in Istanbul believe that cats are happier roaming free outdoors and that it is wrong and selfish to keep them confined to the house.I always look at the negative reviews before ordering something. For this video, it appears that some people just do not understand the perspectives of different cultures. In the United States there is this belief that dogs and cats are like human children and they must be sheltered like children. There is a belief that cats need to be kept indoors, spayed and neutered, and sheltered from natural living. There is this idea that exposing them to life outdoors constitutes cruelty and neglect and that anyone who does this cannot possibly love animals. This video will show you that these attitudes truly are culturally specific, as there is more than one way to care about animals. I wish that everyone appreciated the diversity of cultural approaches this way. If you think you can get past your own cultural biases then I recommend this video.

Adorable!
Such feline cuteness walking all around the city and valued by the populace! Well worth your time!

Lovely film
You get really attached to the different cats, and the people that help take care of them are equally fascinating.

Un superbe documentaire sur la façon dont les chats sont traités à Istanbul !Toutes les villes du monde devraient suivre l’exemple. La vie des chats errants n’en serait que meilleure !

Me encanto este documental, muestra un lado diferente de Los Gatos y la cultura que los rodea en Turquía. llego justo a tiempo y en perfecto estado

As a cat lover — I loved this film, but others disliked listening to Turkish narration and reading sub-titles (it could have had an English dubbed track). I agree that I’d rather spend the length of the film looking at the cats than reading. In spite of that, you have a charming look at the feral cats of Istanbul and the humans who appreciate them, assist them in their lives with food and shelter, and sometimes with veterinary care. It’s a wonderful alternative to other films on cats, this one in a city that is so aesthetically different from our North-American ones.