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| My Boojie-Boo-Boo (d. Jan 28, 2017) and Lalu-Jaanu. Not street cats but sweet and feisty fur babies, all the same. |
In the film, it is said that cats know better than dogs that humxns aren't gods and that cats have the power to sense when the humxns they're close to are struggling with some toxic feelings. The humxns in this film assert that the street cats they befriended would make them feel joy again. This is so true. This film made me laugh and cry. I rejoiced in knowing that Lalu was waiting for me at home. I remembered my fur baby AK.
I have so much respect for the Turkish folks of Istanbul featured in this film who were so kind to the cats and kittens. They fed them. They welcomed them into their homes and shops. They gave them affection when they needed it. And they backed off when the kitties needed their space and freedom. It's an old culture of care for street animals that's rare, like one of the guys in the film who would take bags of meat and fish around the city where colonies of street cats lived and then feed them. People would say to him that God would provide, and he would respond by telling them he was God's middle-man then.
There were some heartwarming insights and perspectives shared by these cat humxns of Istanbul - deeply reflective, tender, and poetic. What's more, we get to really understand that all of the cats featured have their own unique personalities, which is true of any and every cat, and for that matter, any and every other nonhumxn animal. It's unfortunate that many humxns can't or don't want to see that. This film deepens our awareness of feline culture and community.
It was a beautiful film. Hot Docs Cinema will be adding more showtimes since it's been a packed house every day the film's been shown. Check it out if you can! I can't wait til it either appears on Netflix OR I can get my hands on a DVD copy!
