by Linda Kay

English Translation: Confidences of a Cat

Directed by: Giorgio Ferroni

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: A charming short film narrated by a cat who confides to the audience about his life and the lives of stray cats living in and around monuments in Rome during the 1950’s.

Reality Cats: This is a simply charming look at the life of Roman feral cats with the narrator beginning his tale as a citizen of Rome, later mentioning that he is, in fact, a cat. It isn’t until this revelation that the cats begin to emerge in the morning as the tourists arrive.

We are introduced by name to some of the cats, such as the somewhat snobbish brown tabby named Filippo who lives by the Pyramid of Caius Cestius.

Then there is classic tabby Alfredo who is said to have a poetic temperament and resides near the Teatro de Marcelo.

Red, a country cat, hangs around the Piazza Vittorio.

An older tuxedo cat named Socrates has chosen the Pantheon as his home because it is so tranquil and even the kittens are quiet at their play.

Miss Grigetta lives in Largo di Torre Argentina which is a popular place for stray cats in the middle of the city.

First thing in the morning the cats bathe themselves.

They begin the search for food. A few cats beg some scraps from a couple of young men.

One cat sharpens their claws in anticipation of hunting.

Another cat tries for a lizard but misses.

But the cats are grateful for the numerous local people who come to feed them every day.

A couple of kitties fight over a particularly enticing piece of meat.

Some kittens are lucky enough to still have their mothers to feed them. For others, they rely on generous souls to bottle feed them, although the narrator cleverly explains this as some kittens having the means to afford wet nurses.

The narrator then explains that the mother of the orphaned kittens ran away with a wealthy tabby.

A dog then shows up with some meat for the kittens to nibble upon.

After everyone has eaten it is siesta time.

A mother cat watches her kittens at play.

One kitten gets lost but his mother quickly comes and finds him.

The narrator then observes a male cat trying to woo a female who remains completely unimpressed.

Admitting that he is lonely, we finally see the narrator, a seal point sepia Siamese, who admits he longs for love himself and spots a pretty calico, then bids the audience goodbye.

It should be noted that after its excavation in 1929, cats were naturally drawn to the Largo di Torre Argentina and it became a spot where feral cats were known to gather. In the 1950’s actor Antonio Crast started feeding the feral cats at a store house on the grounds. The keys to this place were passed down through the generations and is now the site is the location of the Torre Argentina Cat Sanctuary. Despite its popularity, the sanctuary has come under fire by historians who wish to remove the cats from the premises. A petition has kept the cats in place for now but it continues to be an ongoing battle.

Final Mewsings: Wherever there are cats there will be people who will watch over them.

Relevant Links:

To discuss this film and other cats in movies and on television, join us on Facebook and X.