You don't have to be a cat lover to appreciate 'Cats of Malta' but I confess that, in Mark Twain's division of the world into cat lovers and all others, I am squarely with the former.
The documentary film is beautifully produced but that's not too difficult given that it is set in, and about, Malta - truly 'the jewel of the Mediterranean'.
The interactions between the human society and cats is strange to anyone outside the Mediterranean. In Australia, where I live, there are strict laws regulating cat ownership and the responsibiltiies of their owners, for example, to keep them indoors.
'Cats of Malta' shows the humanity of the people who care for cats, and shows a totally different cultural attitude. Cats are everywhere, in the streets and in parks. They are part of the natural and social environment, existing symbiotically with people and other species.
I'm sure their predatory instincts still exist but they seem like very chill cats - and I have seen them in real life in Malta. As the docuemtnary shows, they trend to lounge about, very satisfied with being cared for, if not by individuals then by neighbourhoods.
Some local councils even provide shelters for them.
We learn much about Malta from this documentary and it is a visual delight.