Cats have always gotten the short end of the stick from the movies relative to dogs, but director Mye Hoang has worked hard to even the odds, with her previous documentary Cat Daddies and her latest, 25 Cats From Qatar, which has the benefit of helping the kitties it showcases, and more.
25 Cats From Qatar opens Aug. 12th at the Town Center 5, Aug. 13th at Laemmle’s Royal, and Aug. 14th at the Glendale. Director Mye Hoang will participate in Q&As at the Glendale following the 4:30 PM shows from August 14 through August 20, as well as after the 1:20 PM and 7:00 PM shows on August 15 and 16.
Producer Alex Megaro will join Hoang on August 15 through August 19 for the 4:30 PM Q&As. Rescuer Katy McHugh will join Hoang on August 14 and August 15 after the 4:30 PM and 7:00 PM shows.
Hoang will participate in a Q&A following the 7:30pm shows on August 12 at the Town Center, and August 13 at the Royal. Cinematographer Patrick Ouziel will join Hoang on August 13. Cat food and supply donations will be accepted Aug. 14-16 by Del Gato Rescue, Urban Panthers, and Kitty Bungalow.
Cats might not take instruction from major studio directors as well as dogs do, but focus a documentary camera on them, and plenty will give the filmmaker a performance, even if hitting their marks is out of the question. In Qatar, where the stray cat population is equal to that of the human population at around three million apiece, many of these felines have become fearless. They pop up from drains, run across busy roads, beg for food and survive the harshness of gum disease and eye injury. Curiosity doesn’t cull the cat population, but it often leaves the fur babies hurting.
Into Qatar comes Milwaukee cat cafe owner Katy McHugh, looking to bring as many of the strays as possible to the U.S. for adoption – 25 is about as much as she can get away with per trip. Numerous rescuers within Qatar are her allies; over the course of four days, they help her select and prepare 25, out of the exponentially more available, that experience has taught Katy will most likely appeal to American adopters.
Qatar’s population is primarily temporary immigrant workers lured by the paychecks, and penchant for construction, of the wealthy. They take on pets – often cute kittens bought at a store – for companionship, but once their tenure is over and they have to leave the country, they often leave the cats behind too. This has helped with the rat problem, but now presents an overpopulation issue that welcomes other countries taking in, essentially, refugee cats.
Animal lovers, have no fear – this is not a movie about cats getting hurt, but rather, rescued. The conflict comes from which cats get to go and how they can make the trip; McHugh, who has done this so often she knows airport ground crew personnel by face, comes prepared, both with knowledge of the process and a charming midwestern manner that endears her to most people she meets. It’s a targeted charm that achieves results – much as a cat purring against your leg is likely to get food or rubs.
Like many advocacy documentaries, 25 Cats From Qatar is something of a call to action, but what it doesn’t outright say might be as powerful as what it does. If we can be brought to care this much about animals in need being brought over for a better life, why do we not more often care about children in similar circumstances as well?
The bottom line, though, is that if you’re coming to see hordes of adorable kitties, it delivers.
“25 Cats from Qatar succeeds not just as an advocacy piece but as a compelling, fast-paced rescue adventure.” – Alan Ng, Film Threat.
“Beyond the cats, 25 Cats From Qatar is a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in the Middle East, kind people with the same hopes and dreams as everybody else, that feels timely and necessary right now.” – Rob Thomas, Substack.