KEDi

Ceyda Torun's KEDi playfully examines Istanbul's resident cat population, flexibly showcasing its rambunctious pluck while interviewing individuals who provide it with comfort and warmth.

Stray cats you see, thousands of stray cats reside in the ancient city, fearlessly revelling in spry independence, boldly invigorating the streets they call home.

Tough to apply The Messenger here.

I admit to having a strong affection for cats. They're often chill, moody, impulsive, distinct, content to sit back and do their own thing, they walk themselves, you don't have to pay attention to them so much, they keep things neat and tidy and excel at being ever so cute, even if they bite and scratch sometimes or wildly fight amongst one another.

That's my generic characterization of cat kind, but KEDi digs much deeper. Through its patient analysis of several Istanbulian felines, we're presented with a multivariable cross-section of pith and personality.

They most certainly are cats, but their differences defy attempts to define essential catness, which makes their sly semantics as purrmeable as they are mewnificent.

Meow meow.

Raccoons are like this too, but they're much more skittish around humans so it's more difficult to notice.

KEDi isn't just a documentary about adorable ingenuitive furballs however.

Its brilliance comes from the ways in which it presents the Arab citizens of Istanbul as well.

It's hard to imagine any of the kind, warmhearted, tender, laid-back cat loving Arabs found within engaging in acts of terror or violently trying to institutionalize something as loathsome as Sharia law.

They're as relaxed as any Joes portrayed in an American sitcom and as thoughtful as any concerned citizen starring in a French romance.

A lot of Arabs living in Europe and North America likely left their countries because they hated the extremist elements who were ruining things back home.

If you think many of them seek to live according to Sharia law in Europe or North America, ask yourself, how many Christians or Jewish people in those regions want to strictly abide by the 10 commandments?

Don't get me wrong.

I hate the terrorists. I want to see them obliterated, to see ISIL crushed, stop them, stop them, please stop them.

Yet if you isolate a group of people, the majority of which are non-violent, and treat them like rats, you risk turning thousands of them, who otherwise would have just gone to work and raised a family, into militarized zombies.

Innocent arabs don't like being depicted as terrorists due to the obvious fact that they, like so many, detest cruelty and tyranny and would rather tell jokes and play games with friends and family.

KEDi gingerly points this out without even trying to do so.

It's a wonderful film.

Full of sympathy, kindness, understanding, and curiosity.

Cinematography by Alp Korfali and Charlie Wuppermann.

Plus, the music is incredible. I admit it, I have a hard time getting into the music of the Middle East, but KEDi's Turkish sounds are so cool that I quickly realized I had been foolishly ignoring a talented region of the globe.

Fantastic.