Kedi

For centuries, Istanbul has been home to thousands of stray cats who roam freely and live in peace with the locals who see the animals as fellow citizens rather than as pets or nuisances. Director Ceyda Torun spent her childhood in Istanbul and follows seven particular cats over the course of her film; she avoids anthropomorphizing her subjects, allowing their dignity and individual personalities to shine through. For the filmmaker, Kedi reflected her need “to see things that remind us of the good things in the world and restore our faith in humanity [a] little bit.”