Savi The Cat

An enjoyable short documentary about a couple and a cat.

This film introduces the viewer to Ken and Kaila Nsimbi, a friendly couple who live in the United States. One day, almost by accident, Savi the cat enters their lives. Although they learn to love him, the pet also turns out to be a handful and they decide to give him away. However, due to extraordinary circumstances, the cat ends up re-entering their lives.

Over the course of approximately seventeen minutes, this nice couple tell their story, explaining how the arrival of Savi changed their lives for the better (and to some degree for the worse). The cat brought additional happiness to them, yet also a bit of trouble, as it is quite an energetic mammal and destroys furniture, makes a mess, etc. Reluctantly, they take him to live somewhere else, however after they do so, they understand the joys that Savi added when he was with them. Apparently by luck, the cat becomes part of their world again, and they embrace that. Kaila, an African American woman and Ken, a man from Kenya, come across as rather likeable, with a great sense of humour and listening to them as they enthusiastically tell their story is quite intriguing and amusing. Perhaps what stands out the most are the unlikely circumstances under which Savi was reunited with the couple, almost like it was meant to be.

The documentary alternates between live action and animation. The film consists of footage of the couple sitting together on a couch while they are being interviewed, footage of themselves in their home, interacting with Savi, photographs of them and the animated sequences. The wonderful animation by Freyja Whitney is a great aspect of the film and the animated scenes serve as flashbacks. All this is superbly edited by Tucker, who makes effective use of wipe techniques.

This is a fun, heart-warming and occasionally moving documentary about how a cat affected the lives of two people. It points out the joys of having a pet and also the trouble that can bring, overall though, it strongly suggests that pets can become part of a family.