I doubt that I will see a film this year that is more emotionally involving, politically relevant and artistically realized than "The Cats of Mirikitani," now playing at the Cinema Village in New York City. This is a 74 minute documentary about Jimmy Mirikitani, a homeless 80 year old Japanese-American who eked out a living selling his art on the streets of downtown New York, who was taken into the apartment of director Linda Hattendorf shortly after September 11th 2001.
The film takes its title from the favorite subject matter of the artist, who appeared to care little about anything else in the world except his work. Like many of New York's homeless, he initially appears rather withdrawn and confused. It is only after Hattendorf takes the time to draw him out that she discovers his story. full: http://louisproyect.wordpress.com/2007/03/03/the-cats-of-mirikitani/
