Case of the Grinning Cat

Yesterday, I went to see a screening of the "Case of the Grinning Cat" at the Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary, by Chris Marker, addresses politics in France over the past 5 years, as well as the drawing of the chubby grinning yellow cat that began to appear all over Paris in the months after 9/11. The two threads come together as images of the cat begin to appear in political protests, at times under the guise of a dove cat, with wings and an olive branch. After the film concluded the artist who created the cat, "M. Chat," spoke briefly, discussing the genesis of the cat (he wanted to make people feel better in a dark time) and how his meaning evolved. He then pulled aside a curtain to reveal 25 placards topped by the winged version of the cat and invited anyone who was interested to take one and join the May Day/Immigrants Rally at Union Square. There was brief concern because the cats were mounted on wooden sticks, which are forbidded at protests in the New York City. But M. Chat said, "Well if they get destroyed they do. That is what America is about." Around 10 of us participated, marching from the theater on 34th Street to the park, fielding questions from passerbys about why we were carrying giant yellow cats. On the way, I had a nice chat with a documentary film maker by the name of Inky, also carrying a cat, and learned I probably should have known who Chris Marker was. The energy at Union Square was wonderful, with whole families cheering and shouting despite the hot sun and close quarters. Flags from many nations were attached the statue of George Washington on his horse and M. Chat eventually climbed on and taped on a cat. He then filmed the crowd from the statue, including those of us with the cats, because he wanted Marker to see them involved in this American protest. The cats attracted a lot of curiostity, which was nice, but a little weird. I sometimes felt like shill for the Tribeca Film Festival, especially after someone from the distrubtor's office gave us information sheets to hand out. But M. Chat and Marker seem very protective of the cat, so I'm sure his image will be safe and it wasn't as if I was promoting the new Tom Cruise movie. When I moved to get some shade and water, a policeman finally noticed the wooden stick and told me--politely--I would need to leave the main rally area. But it was a great day--for immigrants, for New York, for cats.