Directed by Ben Kolak • Documentary • 2023 • 78 minutes
Cat City chronicles Chicago's love/hate relationship with feral cats. It tells the story of Chicago's outdoor cats and the communities who look after them.
What is the right way to care for feral cats and who gets to decide? A ground-breaking 2007 ordinance protects feral cats in Chicago that have been trapped, neutered and returned ("TNR") to their neighborhoods. Dubbed community cats, they control rats and provide love and meaning to their caretakers. There are now thousands of cat colonies in Chicago, many with only a single cat, but some with more than 40. These colonies are fed by volunteer caretakers who report on their well-being. Many ferals succumb to the elements, but the most hardy, tough and careful survive many seasons and become legends in their neighborhoods.
"A reflective and engaging documentary that prompts viewers to critically evaluate our interactions with urban wildlife and the dilemmas of managing such ecosystems...a must-watch for those intrigued by city life and animal welfare dynamics." —Chris Jones, Overly Honest Reviews
Up Next in Animal Kingdom
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Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo
Directed by Jessica Oreck • Documentary • With Takeshi Yoro • 2010 • 90 minutes
Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo delves into the mystery of Japan's age-old love affair with insects. From the first fabled emperor who dubbed Japan the "Isle of the Dragonflies," to the cricket-selling businesses of the ...
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Geographies of Solitude
Directed by Jacquelyn Mills • Documentary • 2022 • 103 minutes
An immersion into the rich ecosystem of Sable Island, a remote sliver of land in the Northwest Atlantic, the film follows Zoe Lucas, a naturalist and environmentalist who has lived there for over 40 years collecting, cleaning and doc...
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A Cow's Life
Directed by Emmanuel Gras • Documentary • 2011 • 62 minutes
In the fields, we see them, extended on the grass or grazing peacefully. Large placid beasts that we thought we knew because they are livestock. Lions, gorillas, bears have our attention, but has anyone ever really looked at the cows? H...
