The Cat Rescuers played as part of Brisbane International Film Festival this year. The film was an excellent display of cat warriors doing their best to make a difference for the lives of stray kittens and cats in the streets of New York. Directed by Rob Fruchtman and Steve Lawrence this 87-minute documentary feature film was heartwarming and informative at the same time. Not only did the film portray various cat-rescuing figures in the community but it also provided plenty of information on the problematic issue of stray cats in the city and what steps the general public can take to help out.
This is a documentary for any animal lover and has the capacity to warm the heart of even the harshest of critics. The Cat Rescuers features four different characters and follows their lives and day-to-day experiences rescuing, nurturing and finding homes for kittens and cats that are accustomed to living on the streets of New York. Whilst it is sad to look at the state of stray cats living on the streets, there are plenty of humorous and joyous moments sprinkled throughout. As the audience we follow Latonya ‘Sassee’ Walker, Claire Corey, Stuart Siet and Tara Green.
As we are introduced to the key figures in the cat rescuing community a lot can be understood about the environment in which they volunteer their time. Firstly, most veterinary expenses are out of pocket for these volunteers, and it can be overwhelming and time consuming caring for stray cats and lastly that there isn’t much support financially for these kind of projects. Whilst Latonya ‘Sassee’ Walker starts off with a positive outlook, towards the end of the film the audience starts to see a more restless and exhausted perspective, given the numerous stray cats within her home she must feed and look after on a daily basis.
Cat rescuer Claire Corey is a painter that has a house filled with rescued strays and struggles with the time to fund and manage this activist work outside of her working hours. Not to mention her husband, who luckily tolerates and accepts Claire’s cat rescuing activities but mentions it is almost like ‘shoe shopping’ for customers looking to purchase a kitten/cat from their house and that he is waiting for them to leave so he can have his wife back. It is evident that the time and efforts of these community volunteers is crucial but even more so is funding and support from the wider community.
Stray cat whisperer Stuart Siet’s day job involves maintaining the radio communications for the NYC Fire Department but in his spare time looks after cats and kittens and helps give them a second chance at life. Each and every character presented in this documentary, although struggling in one way or another, are consistently kind and caring people and just want to do the best they can to catch and trap stray cats, ‘fix’ them up and provide them with a new home. Whilst Stuart mentions that he is unmarried and therefore has more time to spend with the cats, he still allows us an insight into his mind and the way he sees society. The relatable nature of the characters in the film is a real strength, as it ultimately helps the audience identify with these on screen personalities.
Tara Green has struggled with previous addictions that haven’t been healthy for her, and her experience with cats has helped her be the best person she can be. Each story we hear in The Cat Rescuers from each of the characters is open and refreshingly honest. Tara’s Mother is concerned that Tara is taking on too much responsibility, and similar to the other characters in the documentary there is a lot of sacrificing of time to rescue these cats. The most comical moments in this documentary would consist of these characters trapping the cats in various ways and quickly running over before they escape. There are also a lot of hard hitting and emotional moments that make you think twice about the importance of having a furry friend in life.
Don’t miss out on seeing The Cat Rescuers at Brisbane International Film Festival 2019, and even if you have by the time you finish reading this you should see the next available screening of this fantastic documentary in a cinema near you.
Mon 07 Oct
10:30am - 86mins
Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo
Sat 12 Oct
10:30am - 86mins
New Farm Six Cinemas
Joanna Letic