Kedi (2016) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Turkish

Kedi is Turkish for "cat" and the film focuses on the fascinating relationships that form between many of the city residents and the "stray" cats that live within the city. It is an unusual relationship in that the cats are cared for and loved by the people living in the city, but are also respected and are not constrained in any way.

Answer: The camera level is set so as to film from the cat's perspective.

A special rig was set up and used to follow the cats around the city. Even when people are involved with the cats, the perspective is still mostly from the cats' point of view. Thus, we get an intimate view of how these cats are living. In addition, the cats are not constrained to the frame of the picture and this helps to emphasize their freedom.

Answer: The people who interact with the cats in the city speak about their relationship with the featured cats and with cats in general.

The people of Istanbul truly love their cats and this comes through in their narrations. They treat them with respect and as though they are persons (but not humans) in their own right. They love having them around and are concerned for them when there are changes (such as modernization) to the city.

The filmmakers also respect the cats by not trying to animate them and also not putting human thoughts in their mouths. They essentially just allow the cats to speak eloquently for themselves, using their own body language.

Answer: Sari has kittens that she needs to feed.

This is an interesting sequence, as we watch Sari begging for food at cafes and in offices all over the place before the filmmakers finally show her taking food home for the kittens. The narrator tells us that before Sari had kittens, she used to just bum around and sleep all day. Now she hunts for and continually brings food home for her kittens.

Answer: Eartha Kitt

While Eydie Gorm was the first to play the song "Uska Dara" (played during Aslan Parcasi's sequence), Eartha Kitt's version is the one used in the film. Tori Bilbil is just a name I made up. Frank Slay has done an instrumental version of the song. "Kedi" uses several Turkish folk songs as a part of its sound track and each music selection is a perfect fit with the cat to which it is matched.

The rest of the soundtrack was provided by Kira Fontana. As cats square off and confront each other, the darbuka drum, an arabic instrument, gives a percussive quality to the soundtrack, providing tension in these scenes.

Answer: Ginger

Ginger is new to the neighborhood and is trying to claim it as his. This takes place during the sequence about Gamsiz, "the player". It acts as a background to Gamsiz needing to go to the vet. The sequences are interesting as we follow Ginger around and Gamsiz follows Ginger, preventing him from doing too much harm.

Answer: A deli

Duman shows up at the deli one day. He never harasses the customers for food and never comes into the deli, even when the door is open. Instead, he paws at the window when he wants food. One of the deli workers (the owner?) explains that they give him a little cheese such as Emmentaler and some smoked turkey, but that Duman can be picky about the meat that he will eat.

Answer: The future of the market is unknown.

The market is in danger of being closed because the city wants to build a road through the area. The vendors are concerned - not only about Deniz, but about all the cats associated with the market. Where will they go? They are particularly concerned about Deniz because he has been associated with the market since he was a kitten.

The sequences where Deniz is followed are done at calf level and follow him under and over tables at the market, with cameos of other market cats.

Answer: Their tips pay the veterinary bill.

The kitchen worker states that whatever is in their tip box goes to the cats. Helping to keep the cats healthy is more important to them than keeping the money in the tip box. Ceyda Torun, who created the film, has stated several times that in her travels, she has never seen another place that has the sort of relationship with cats as that in Istanbul between the cats and people there.

Answer: middlemen

"They are not ungrateful, they just know better." This is only one of the quotations and stories told by residents of Istanbul that reflect their relationship with the cats whom they consider their neighbors. In another sequence, we are told that the people of Istanbul could treat the cats as though they are a problem and handle them that way, but instead choose to have a different sort of relationship with them.

The philosophical observations about cats and their relationships with people are a highlight of the film.