Kedi A Film About The Cats Of Istanbul Featured on You Tube Red

YOUTUBE PARTNERS WITH OSCILLOSCOPE LABORATORIES TO RELEASE CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARY

“KEDI”

FEATURE-LENGTH FILM TO DEBUT ON YOUTUBE RED ON MAY 10, 2017

LOS ANGELES – April 20, 2017 – YouTube today announced that it has partnered with Oscilloscope Laboratories to release KEDI on YouTube Red. KEDI is a critically-acclaimed documentary about the lives of cats who roam freely throughout the metropolis of Istanbul and bring joy and purpose to the people they choose to love. The film has had a massively successful theatrical release, becoming the third highest grossing foreign language documentary ever, having garnered $2.4M, to date. KEDI will continue its theatrical run in select locations throughout the year. This feature-length film, which made its world premiere at the Istanbul Independent Film Festival, was produced by Ceyda Torun and Charlie Wuppermann. Torun also serves as the film’s director and Wuppermann as the cinematographer. KEDI will debut on YouTube Red on May 10, 2017.

  

In Istanbul, the cat is more than just a cat. It embodies the indescribable energy, culture, and uniqueness that is the essence of the city. Cats have become an essential part of the fabric of Istanbul. They are the mirrors to the people, allowing them to reflect on their lives in ways nothing else could. The seven distinct feline personalities featured in the film are: Sari (“The Hustler”), Duman (“The Gentleman”),  Bengü (“The Lover”), Aslan Parçasi (“The Hunter”), Gamsiz (“The Player”), Psikopat (“The Psycho”), and Deniz (“The Social Butterfly”).

The cinematic visuals in KEDI take you on a “cat’s eye” journey through the winding streets of Istanbul, and invite you to experience the communal approach of the residents who care for the cats while allowing them to retain their independence.

“We know the YouTube audience has a never-ending fascination with all things cats,” said Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content, YouTube. “Ceyda Torun and Charlie Wuppermann’s visually stunning documentary featuring seven charismatic felines navigating the streets of Istanbul has resonated with theatergoers around the world, and it has all the right elements to be incredibly popular on YouTube Red.”

“I realized that my stories of the street cats of Istanbul were not exclusive to me. Everyone who formed a meaningful relationship with these creatures has come to experience life and their part in it differently,” said KEDI producer and director Ceyda Torun. “Cats have become synonymous with the city itself, ultimately, embodying its soul. This film is, in many ways, a love letter to those cats and the city.”

The film was executive produced by Thomas Podstawski and Gregor Kewel.

The 411 by Maria:

I love animals but especially cats. Much of this documentary is filmed at cat level so you get the full cat's eye view unless they are interviewing a person who is speaking to the camera. I had no idea there was such a population of cats in Intanbul or that the people revere them as a divine being who can take the negative energy away from them and bring them peace. Without cats the people would have no spirit. One of the quotes that stayed with me and makes so much sense is 

"It is said that cats know of God's existence, dogs do not. Dogs think people are Gods, cats do not. Cats know that people act as middlemen to God's will. They are not ungrateful, they just know better."

Makes a lot of sense no. Dogs jump around us and beg for our attention and affection where cat's just need to lie near us and we pet them. They have an almost superior, narcissistic way about them. They seem aloof unless they really want your attention but maybe they are just smarter.  

The people of Istanbul are obviously genuinely good people.  

My daughter and I loved watching it with her asking the entire time when we can go to Istanbul.

YouTube Red is a paid membership that gives you an enhanced, uninterrupted experience across YouTube, YouTube Music, YouTube Gaming and YouTube Kids. Members also get exclusive access to new Original series and movies from top YouTube creators. YouTube Red is currently available in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and Korea with plans for additional international expansion throughout the year. 

About YouTube

Launched in May 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube is a Google company.

About Oscilloscope Laboratories

Oscilloscope Laboratories is a film production and distribution entity launched in 2008 by Adam Yauch of Beastie Boys. Yauch modeled the company after the indie record labels he grew up around, choosing films and releasing them with the same artistic integrity with which they were made. The company, an extension of Yauch’s recording studio of the same name, has an in-house DVD distribution and production arm, and its paper packaging is reminiscent of the heyday of LP record jackets. Previous and current releases include Lynne Ramsay’s Golden Globe®-nominated WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly; Marshall Curry’s Oscar®-nominated IF A TREE FALLS: A STORY OF THE EARTH LIBERATION FRONT; Oren Moverman’s Oscar®-nominated THE MESSENGER starring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson; Kelly Reichardt’s MEEK’S CUTOFF starring Michelle Williams; Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson’s SAMSARA; Todd Berger’s IT’S A DISASTER, starring David Cross, Julia Stiles, and America Ferrara; Andrew Dosunmu’s Sundance-winning MOTHER OF GEORGE; Martha Shane and Lana Wilson’s AFTER TILLER; Lotfy Nathan's 12 O'CLOCK BOYS; Dan Krauss’s THE KILL TEAM; James Byrkit’s COHERENCE; Jeff Preiss’s LOW DOWN; Florian Habicht’s PULP: A FILM ABOUT LIFE, DEATH AND SUPERMARKETS; Joel Potrykus's BUZZARD; Maxime Giroux's FELIX AND MEIRA; Daniel Wolfe’s CATCH ME DADDY; Anna Muylaert’s THE SECOND MOTHER; Alice Rohrwacher’s THE WONDERS; re-releases of Manfred Kirchheimer’s STATIONS OF THE ELEVATED and Charlie Ahearn’s JAMEL SHABAZZ STREET PHOTOGRAPHER; David Evans’s WHAT OUR FATHERS DID: A NAZI LEGACY; Dan Berk and Robert Olsen’s BODY; Javier Fuentes-Leon’s THE VANISHED ELEPHANT; Ciro Guerra’s Oscar®-nominated EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT; a re-release of Kelly Reichardt’s debut feature RIVER OF GRASS; Nicolas Steiner’s ABOVE AND BELOW; Piero Messina’s L’ATTESA; Julio Medem’s MA MA; Anna Rose Holmer's THE FITS; Rosemary Myers’s GIRL ASLEEP; Joel Potrykus’s THE ALCHEMIST COOKBOOK; Anna Biller’s THE LOVE WITCH; Sophia Takal’s ALWAYS SHINE; Ceyda Torun’s KEDI; and Bill Ross and Turner Ross’s CONTEMPORARY COLOR. Upcoming releases include: Asaph Polonsky’s ONE WEEK AND A DAY; Andrew Cohn’s NIGHT SCHOOL; Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon’s LOST IN PARIS; Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer’s SANTOALLA; Valérie Müller and Angelin Preljocaj’s POLINA; Carla Simón’s SUMMER 1993; and Dmitrii Kalashnikov’s THE ROAD MOVIE.

About Termite Films

Founded by Ceyda Torun and Charlie Wuppermann, Termite Films is a film development and production company based in Los Angeles. Apart from producing short content and documentaries, Termite is developing low-budget features, with a dedication to make genre films that embrace arthouse sensibilities. Director/Producer Ceyda Torun oversees story development, while Cinematographer/Producer Charlie Wuppermann serves as visual consultant on all Termite projects the duo produce.