Cat (Kedi)
Turkey/USA, 2016, 79 min., Director: Ceyda Torun
Hundreds of thousands of Turkish cats roam the metropolis of Istanbul freely. For thousands of years they’ve wandered in and out of people’s lives, becoming an essential part of the communities that make the city so rich. Claiming no owners, the cats of Istanbul live between two worlds, neither wild nor tame — and they bring joy and purpose to those people they choose to adopt. In Istanbul, cats are the mirrors to the people, allowing them to reflect on their lives in ways nothing else could.
Critics and internet cats agree — this cat documentary will charm its way into your heart and home as you fall in love with the cats in Istanbul.
Director
Ceyda Torun was born in Istanbul, where she befriended many of her neighborhood cats. She now lives and works in the US. She co-founded Termite Films with cinematographer Charlie Wuppermann and has since directed her first feature documentary.
7:45 pm
Crossing the Bridge – The Sound of Istanbul
Germany/Turkey, 2005, 90 min., Director: Fatih Akin
Award-winning director Fatih Akin and Alexander Hacke, bassist with
Einstürzenden Neubauten, take us on a journey through Istanbul, the city that bridges Europe and Asia, and challenge familiar notions of east and west. Starting at the famous Boğaziçi Köprüsü bridge crossing the Bosphorus, they take us through the crowded streets to musicians who comprise the vibrant musical scene – rapper Ceza & Gang, Orhan Gencebay, Sezen Aksu, street musicians, and the Kurdish singer Aynur. A musical portrait of a pulsating city in which Orient and Occident merge.
The works of director and author
Fatih Akin have garnered a number of national and international awards. The Hamburg-born artist has gained widespread attention through numerous movies and comparatively few documentaries –
Crossing the Bridge being the second out of three – by telling the curiosities of multicultural coexistence in a charming and entertaining manner.
In conjunction with the Washington, DC Turkish Festival, organized by the American Turkish Association of Washington, DC throughout September 2017.
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