Die Katzen vom Gokoku-Schrein

In the organizer's words:

• JP 2024
• 119 min
• Director: Kazuhiro Soda
• FSK: not specified
• Documentary: Original version with German voiceover and subtitles where applicable

Screenings:

• Thu, December 5, 2024 - Sat, December 7, 2024 at 5:00 pm
• Mon, December 9, 2024 - Wed, December 11, 2024 at 5:00 pm

"The Berlinale is also like that: far away from the hustle and bustle of national and international stars, small, understated productions enchant cinema audiences. Such as the documentary THE CATS OF GOKOGU SHRINE by Japanese filmmaker Kazuhiro Soda. ...
With their intimacy and empathy, the images are tenderly affectionate and show, in the best sense of the word, what really is. ... Kazuhiro Soda's typical way of immersing himself in the moment and allowing a development that is not forced by a storyboard, script or expectations brings to light astonishing inner insights." Elisa Reznicek

This film is about cats, lots of cats - of all sizes and ages, from young to old, healthy or sick, winter or summer cats. They live in the surroundings of the small, old Shinto shrine Gokogu, located in Ushimado, a harbor town on the Inland Sea. It is a paradise for cat-loving residents and visitors. Gokogu looks peaceful on the surface, but it is also the epicenter of a sensitive issue that divides the local community.

That's why it's also about people. Those who visit, love and feed the cats, and give them names like Chao, Gari, Hyaena, Koto, Chubu or Chibi. And who occasionally bring new cats and abandon them. At the same time, those who find it annoying that their front gardens or the plants around the shrine are used as a large litter box and that cat lovers leave their garbage behind also have their say.

In his tenth "observational film", Kazuhiro Sōda captures life around the shrine and provides a personal and sensitive look at the traditional community of the place.