Felidae

A cat called Francis moves into a new house with his owner. Cats are being killed in the neighbourhood. Francis starts investigating and soon understands that this is not random cruelty: a scientist once ran experiments on cats in these houses, and what is happening now continues them. Michael Schaack directs. The source is Akif Pirinçci's novel of the same name, and the author worked on the screenplay. It is animation but not for children. One of the most expensive animated productions made in Germany at the time, it was produced entirely for adults; the noir shape, the killings and the dream sequences are built accordingly. The subject is the idea of racial purity. The experiment in the film is an attempt to create a breed, and its historical counterpart in Germany is built openly; it is a story about eugenics told through cats. The image is dark; the neighbourhood, the cellars and the attics are almost never shown in daylight. The violence is detailed and explicit, and the film was the subject of an argument in Germany about age ratings. The novel had sold heavily in Germany and sequels followed; only the first was filmed. Who it is for: viewers who like adult animation and the noir shape. Who it is not for: it is absolutely unsuitable for children, the violence is heavy, and the narrative becomes over explanatory in the second half.