Arguably the most personal and my favorite among all the films that I have made. I may not be able to make another movie that is as personal or as significant to me as this one.
This short film is about my relationship with my cat, Arkadin. We lived together for 12 years, 1 month and 13 days. He entered my life as...an actor, in 2003. I was looking for a ginger kitten to appear in a scene in "Alemaya". Since then, he stayed with me and gave me ‘the sky and the stars’.
No matter how much I try, it is absolutely impossible to describe the significance Arkadin had in my life. On 15 January 2016, he suddenly fell ill and only two days later, on 17 January, at 12:20 noon, he perished.
The movie was based on footage, captured during my cohabitation with Arkadin, in 2009 and 2010, as well as on numerous photos of him. The voice over is, of course, my own. I made the film immediately after his death, in order to preserve the taste of my life with Arkadin forever (?). This indelible impression Arkadin has left on my soul.
Ever since he has gone, literally not a moment has passed, without him being in my heart and in my thoughts. In everything that happens, he is there. Beside me.
If a fortune-teller, a crystal gazer, magician, clairvoyant or any con artist came to me and told me that they would help me communicate with him, I would do it without second thought. As ridiculous as these things had always seemed to me, I would try any of those seances, wiggie boards and the rest. In rare cases, there is a time for everything. The illusion alone of communicating with him would be enough to alleviate my soul.
There is no sadness after his death or anything similar to that. All there is, is a huge inexplicable and indescribable void.
It is funny, but this short picture about Arkadin, which I made only for me, seems to be my only film with universal appeal.
The film was edited by Myrto Lekatsa and I am grateful to her because it was the hardest editing process I have gone through.
The full film can be found here.
