THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT (DAS MERKWÜRDIGE KÄTZCHEN) New Auteurs

On the day of a large family gathering, a Berlin flat is bustling with activity. The mother has a full plate: the two older children are home for dinner, and the youngest screams at kitchen appliances. Add the neighbor fixing the washing machine, the napping grandfather, the extended family, a dog and the eponymous cat, and this apartment is full to overflowing. A whimsical and spellbinding film, THE STRANGE LITTLE CAT explores the tensions and pleasures of everyday domestic life, while celebrating the secret fantasies its characters harbor, sharing their inner thoughts and having them heard. This debut feature from writer-director Ramon Zürcher unites an all-ages cast to elevate daily life into a playful and effortless ballet as the characters sashay around one another in the apartment’s cramped quarters.