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What is so special about Cats in Istanbul (2017) by Turkish female director Hida Torun. I think every city has such "walkers" between domestic cats and stray cats, they are cared for by people and enjoy walking freely, but they are not feral cats. They walk in the ancient streets and alleys like little gods, coexisting in natural harmony with people without complaining. Perhaps their existence does not attract too much attention, but it has become a dick scene in the city.
In such a situation, going back to the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople 700 years ago, the cats followed the constructed underground waterways and walked in a more sensitive and concentrated way, which played a great role in defeating the rat infestation at that time. . Later, with the acceleration of the navigation of the Bosphorus Strait, cats from Norway and other countries came here through the waterway. They have become the masters of this thousand-year-old ancient city. They also shape the temperament of the city, become a symbol of the city's culture, or the soul of the city.
But these little gods of freedom have encountered an unprecedented crisis. With the disappearance of old streets and the rise of high-rise buildings, these cats will lose human company and habitat for survival. That is to say, if a city does not pay attention to the balance between inheritance and modern development, it will lose many original things. Lost may not only stop at an old street, an ancient house, and a group of elegant cats. A city, once it loses them, actually loses the character of the city.
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This will be very sad. This documentary, precious, is exactly that kind of reminder. How it established a long, close and continuous relationship with a city through cats. And this relationship is irreplaceable. Cats, like people, have an almost religious sense of sacred existence for this city. But not everyone realizes that.
What it records is not only to emphasize the vital importance of cats, or their importance to people, but to say that cats are the needs of people and nature, just like a city and people's breathing.
As a result, this documentary presents the stories between various cats and people in the form of walks from all perspectives. The relationship between man and cat is not the relationship between the owner and the animal, but the relationship between them is inseparable and inseparable. After most of them were discovered by them (they), they were given food at regular intervals.
They do not live in people's homes permanently, but come and go as they please, with complete freedom. But do we humans really understand cats? In fact, people are far from exhausting the characteristics of cats, and it is an eternal mystery around human beings.
In the film, these people include female painters, housewives, fishermen, market hawkers, restaurant owners, etc. They (they) take good care of these willful little gods. They say that cats, like humans, are born with habits such as jealousy, aggression, laziness and trickery. Once they find you, they will follow you stubbornly, and once they are unwelcome, they will ignore you. The ruffian cat has a kind and arrogant soul hidden in its body.
The reason why I say cats are little gods is because of the words of an old man in the film. He said that cats are not like dogs, they like to be friendly with people, because dogs naturally regard people as loving gods, but cats do not, and the people in their eyes are irrelevant. This is because the ancestors of dogs were gregarious animals, such as a wolf king, who could rule everything in its territory. The ancestors of cats are solitary animals, which are accustomed to traveling alone, such as large cats such as ligers and leopards.
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These wandering little gods have an aristocratic appearance but a fragile heart. But they have always been content with their own existence. They climbed high branches and jumped wildly. They walk on rooftops, vegetable farms and paths, and they dream their own dreams. Their connection with people is always vague, equal and scattered. They never ask for mercy, but they treat those who rescued them with affection. Likewise, these human benefactors, whose hearts are full of sunshine, are in a good mood.
For example, the woman who was suffering from cancer wanted to have a cat to diagnose and treat her own disease. Although the cat failed to heal her, it at least brought her happiness. The female artist said that when she stroked them, she felt at ease, and that she was full as long as the cat was around, which gave her the motivation to paint.
It is unimaginable that a cat can control a large area, leaving the mice invisible, which brings huge profits to the restaurant owner. He said cat, let's be at ease.
"As long as there are cats dangling, it makes us happy". This is the most direct statement in the film. What was touching was the fisherman, who brought the fish from the sea and sprinkled the cat with food every day along the way.
These people who care for cats every day know that if the city loses cats, it will also lose its most unique style, which is the most basic human civilization, that is, love, compassion and tolerance. The so-called soul and temperament of a city is nothing but this.
2017, 11, 29
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