It’s a documentary about street cats in Istanbul. What’s NOT to love?! No, it’s not just a bunch of kitty Turkish YouTube videos. Kedi actually does a beautiful job following a select few cats through the streets of Istanbul to understand the interaction between humans and animals in a changing urban environment. It is utterly charming and thoughtful, as much about our core humanity as it is about the felines we share the world with. Kedi should be particularly celebrated for its incredible use of camera technique. The filmmakers follow the cats in incredible and intimate ways without ever seeming to disturb their natural behavior. Tight shots of the cats seem more as if they are staring through you to the other side than breaking any fourth wall. The interviews are interesting as they chart different responses from humans; there is a cat lady followed by dozens, the man who talks about how the cats helped him recover from mental illness, a gruff store keeper who worries about his one special apprentice, and the fisherman who feels a divinity from them. There are a few lose threads that never get tied up, particularly the allusions to veterinary care and the kitten delivered to the vet… without ever an interaction with the vet or a follow up on care leaves the viewer hanging, but these are minor quibbles. At one point an interviewee notes, “The cats are life smiling at us.” Maybe, but this film is definitely life smiling at the viewer.