A terrible temptation is to use the word "copycat" here; Cats of Malta follows in the pawprints of an art-house and home-viewer hit Kedi (2016), about the stray cats of Istanbul and the feline-struck Turks who care for them. This short feature does the same for the Mediterranean island of Malta, which has its own considerable cat culture.
Unlike Kedi, the filmmaker appears onscreen here from time to time. Documentarian Sarah Jayne Portelli is native Maltese, though raised in Australia. Here, she says, after moving back to Malta to reconnect, she grew aware of the ubiquitous free-roaming cats on the island and the humans who cater to them.
We meet several, including trap-neuter-release practitioners, an artist doing cat-oriented public sculpture, a woman who ran her own DIY "Cat Village" refuge for strays (until its demolition for block development), and an outgoing adolescent named Isaac Muscat, with plans of being an airline pilot but currently spending his own money caring for homeless cats.
While Kedi occasionally strove for a kitty's-eye-view, the accent here is on humans, though we get to know (mainly through narratives of nearby restaurant employees) one black-and-white tom called Nanoo. He has lost a foreleg but, even at a cat-senior age estimated at 19, remains the alley's feisty alpha.
Of course, Malta itself is sun-washed and as post-card lovely as the cats are cute. A few interviewees go into matters of how much more can be done in terms of local government or NGOs to care for these independent-minded animals.
So who would win in a catfight, Kedi or Cats of Malta? With plentiful cat-fancying viewers looking for a purr-fect diversion, collections could make room for both family-friendly titles without fear of claws coming out.
What public library shelves would this title be on?
Animal/pet-oriented shelves and (European) travel are natural Cats habitats.
What academic subjects would this film be suitable for?
Maltese history only rates a cursory mention (this is the smallest member of the European Union), though the discussion does roam into public policy (vis-a-vis cat colonies), public art, and perhaps the social concept of community and shared spaces. Veterinary training institutions might also be able to take some cues from the content.
What type of classroom would this documentary resource be suitable for?
All ages and grades could take to this like catnip.