When graffiti of an orange grinning cat appears in Paris, Marker goes searching for this mysterious mascot. His often-playful quest leads him to the streets, métro, and even the annals of art history. But Marker’s searching also intersects with the political climate following the events of September 11 and the rise of the right in France. This plays with “Chris Marker’s Bestiary,” a collection of short films focused on one of Marker’s favorite subjects: animals. Cats, owls, elephants, and bulls are the focus not of an anthropomorphic gaze but a quiet, curious one.

The Case of the Grinning Cat
DIRECTOR: Chris Marker. 2004. 58 min. France. Color. French/English. Digital.

Cat Listening to Music
DIRECTOR: Chris Marker. 1994. 3 min. France. Color. Silent. Digital.

An Owl Is an Owl Is an Owl
DIRECTOR: Chris Marker. 1990. 3 min. France. Color. English. Digital.

Zoo Piece
DIRECTOR: Chris Marker. 1990. 3 min. France. Color. Silent. Digital.

Bullfight in Okinawa
DIRECTOR: Chris Marker. 1994. 4 min. France. Color. Japanese. Digital.

Slon Tango
DIRECTOR: Chris Marker. 1993. 4 min. France. Color. Silent. Digital.

All film screenings in The Path of the Cat: Chris Marker’s Centennial series are available here. 

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.