summer 2007 series

We were moved, amused and ultimately heartened by the two documentaries comprising this little series: The Case of the Grinning Cat and The Cats of Mirikitani.

Stylistically, the two films couldn't be more different, but they were both inspired by art found in the streets—cat art to be specific—and both are deeply humanistic and have something profound to say about life, art and politics in the 21st century. In The Grinning Cat, the voice of the filmmaker, French cine-essayist Chris Marker, guides us throughout, and the artist in question remains a mystery for most of the film. In The Cats of Mirikitani, the filmmaker does her best to remain on the sidelines, instead letting the artist, the endearing Jimmy Tsutomu Mirikitani, reveal himself and his past.

See them both on one evening (admission to The Case of the Grinning Cat includes admission to The Cats of Mirikitani if you do so) or on separate evenings. You'll be pondering them both for days, perhaps weeks, afterwards, so plan accordingly.

Images from (top to bottom): The Case of the Grinning Cat, The Cats of Mirikitani