Cats of Malta

Year:  2022

Director:  Sarah Jayne Portelli

Rated:  All Ages

Release:  July 25, FREE at Federation Square

Worth: $15.00
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Cast:
Polly March, Michelle, Saviour, Roza

Intro:
Endearing and heart-warming ...

Australian filmmaker Sarah Jayne Portelli moved to Malta in 2017 to connect with her roots. In doing so, she discovered the island’s fierce loyalty to its feline population. From artists to school children, Malta’s strays have impacted everyone.

Similar to Ceyda Torun’s Kedi, which took to the streets of Istanbul, Portelli sits down to talk to various locals about their love of the cats that roam freely. Locals like former restaurant owners, Michelle and Saviour, who open the documentary with their tale of protecting a stray who regularly visits for food. The way the couple talks about the three-legged troublemaker, it’s clear they would do anything for him. However, it goes deeper than simply having a love for animals. For Saviour, caring for the strays helps him keep connected to his wife who has passed away.

Actor Polly March takes Portelli to the little area where she takes care of her own little brood of unhoused kitties. Like others in the film, Polly’s care goes beyond leaving a bit of kibble on the doorstep. She feeds them, gives them water, and even takes them to the vet. When one of her regulars, Millie, looks to have got into a bit of a scrap, Polly has to consider what will happen if she takes the 13-year-old to the vet. Because, for all of the love that pours out of the screen, Cats of Malta reminds the audience that being stray comes with its own set of dangers. Take an injured moggy to the vet and the chances are, given it has no owner, they don’t come back out.

Elsewhere, these cute little critters are no match for Malta’s continued expansion. In one of the more heartbreaking scenes, we meet Roza who, at one time, ran a self-made Cat Village known by all the locals. Like a Smurf village for cats, Roza introduces us to its inhabitants while lamenting that nearby construction work will one day see the collection of houses being moved. That eventually does happen and perhaps the only modicum of joy to be taken from the situation is how Roza’s neighbours and fellow cat lovers rally around her as she takes down the place the strays have called home for so long.

Endearing and heart-warming, Cats of Malta avoids being simply an extended YouTube video of cats frolicking by highlighting how members of the community are brought together by their love of these wily little creatures. From removing fishhooks from their greedy little mouths, to protecting new litters of kittens, their devotion is intoxicating and Portelli, thankfully, is there to capture it all.