Oscilloscope Laboratories Tabs Nov. 14 For The DVD And Blu-ray Debut Of Director Ceyda Torun’s Kedi

The highest grossing film in the history of Oscilloscope Laboratories and the third highest grossing foreign language documentary in the history of domestic theatrical exhibition will be purring its way to the home entertainment marketplace on Nov. 14 as both DVD and Blu-ray product offerings.

What could this cat’s meow of a film be?   Why it is Turkish filmmaker Ceyda Torun’s Kedi, which raked in over $2.8 million in its theatrical run earlier this year.   For the record, the ARR comes in at 277 days.

Kedi is Turkish for cat; feline, and Torun's Kedi both weaves a narrative of an Istanbul custom that dates back to antiquity (cats control vermin, hence a practical reason) and, by way of a clever filmmaking technique, takes the viewer into the world of these Istanbul street cats. 

Don’t think that these cats are “feral,” they are not wild and mangy, but friendly members of the community — we get an up-close and personal look at the social interaction between the human world and that of the cats.  They share the streets and back alleys of Istanbul.

Istanbul might be a half a world away, but even closer to home, you can find the same human-cat relationship.   Visit San Juan, Puerto Rico, the old part of the city, with the lavender cobblestone streets and the legendary forts of El Morro and San Cristóbal and there you will find hundreds of street cats, friendly and adoring, just like the seven cats that documentary filmmaker Ceyda Torun introduces us to in Istanbul.

These cats have names (think: the musical Cats and the tune “The Naming of Cats”).  The names are: Duman (Smoke … a “gentleman”), Psikopat (“Psychopath” … a white cat, with a black face and tail), Sari (Yellow … a “hustler”), Bengü (Eternal … a “lover”), Deniz (Sea … a “social butterfly”), Aslan Parçasi (Part Lion … a “hunter”) and Gamsiz (Blithely … “The Player”).  They have their territories and their human families, where visits are paid and the social interaction pleases everyone.

We learn that many of the humans in this tale have vet bills … no cat in Istanbul that is injured suffers, they are whisked up and even given cab rides to the nearby veterinarian to be cared for.   It is just a way of life; an understanding.   It is as if “you give me great pleasure and I take care of you,” with that sentiment going both ways.

Cat lover (or not), mark (or claw) Nov. 14 on your home entertainment-viewing calendar for Kedi … it’s all paws up!!!

Kedi is presented in Turkish with English subtitles and features commentary from filmmaker Ceyda Torun, cinematographer/producer Charlie Wuppermann and editor Mo Stoebe, plus the featurette titled “The Making of Kedi,” deleted and extended scenes, plus outtakes.