1 / 7
RUNTIME
Did you know
Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
The Strange Little Cat
2026 1h 12m DE
ComedyDramaFamily
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
It is a Saturday in autumn, and Karin and Simon are visiting their parents and youngest sister Clara. This family gathering provides the occasion for a dinner together, at which other relatives appear over the course of the day. While the family members animate the apartment’s space with their conversations, everyday activities and cooking preparations, the cat and dog range through the various rooms. they too become a central element in this quotidian familial dance that repeatedly manifests stylized elements, disrupting any naturalistic mode of presentation. In this way, adjoining spaces open up between family drama, fairy tale and the psychological study of a mother.
“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”
Cast
Anjorka Strechel
Karin
Jenny Schily
Mutter
Matthias Dittmer
Vater
Luk Pfaff
Simon
Monika Hetterle
Großmutter
Kathleen Morgeneyer
Hanna
Gustav Körner
Nachbarsjunge
Leon Beiersdorf
Jonas
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Ramon Zürcher
- Writers
- Ramon Zürcher
- Languages
- German
- Countries
- Germany
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 7
ERA
Did you know
Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 7
RUNTIME
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 7
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Ramon Zürcher, shot by Alex Hasskerl. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 7
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Ramon Zürcher shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 7
CAST
Did you know
Anjorka Strechel and Jenny Schily and Matthias Dittmer carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 7
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt2586000 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Ramon Zürcher directs. Alex Hasskerl behind the camera. Ramon Zürcher cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
- 2Released this year — you're seeing it while it's still in the cultural conversation.
- 3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 4Directed by Ramon Zürcher, shot by Alex Hasskerl. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 5Editor Ramon Zürcher shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 6Anjorka Strechel and Jenny Schily and Matthias Dittmer carry the top of the cast.
- 7IMDB entry: tt2586000 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Alex Hasskerl
- Editing
- Ramon Zürcher
- Sound
- Ramon Zürcher
- Runtime
- 72 min · 1h 12m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- DE
Also by
Ramon Zürcher
Trailers & featurettes
Watch the pieces
Community reviews
What people are saying
- Reno★ 6/10
A beautiful video portrait of a family! Indeed a beautiful video portrait of a family and friends coming together for an evening. I wanted to like it more, but not impressed by the overall product. However, I liked very much the film theme, not very unique, yet simpler and different than those I've seen. The cat was the centre of the narration as the title suggests, but it was seen rarely within the video frame and sometimes the characters mentions it, but we know it was around there where our eyes can't reach. On an ordinary day, about an ordinary family and their ordinary event which might remind you your own family or the others you're familiar with. I don't know the cast, but I liked their character displays. Each one offered so many topics on what they were doing, because I can easily say it was not completely written script, but they were improvised while the camera was on the roll. As the actors that's what they do, but as a viewer I must appreciate the effort. Even the kids were so impressive, yet like I said overall film fallen short by a slight margin. I'm a semi-artist, those who are interested in the art would stare at the paintings for a very long time to observe the details closely like every visible stroke the artist did. Likewise, in this, the details were very impressive. In every scene, there's something happening like each scene has its own twist before going to the next. What I meant was, it was not like those lazy films I'd seen in my life with boring scenes where camera stands still and nothing happens for a very long time. That's the reason I usually dislike art films, but a very few like this makes my day. 6/10
Production companies
Who made it
Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin (DFFB)
DE
Key crew
- ProducerSilvan Zürcher
- ProducerJohanna Bergel
- Sound DesignerRamon Zürcher
- EditorRamon Zürcher
- Executive ProducerMyriam Eichler
- ColoristAlex Hasskerl
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- cat
Release history · US
When it landed
- Premiere2013-05-01· San Francisco International Film Festival
Also known as
International titles
- The Strange Little CatUS
- 柏林貓咪日記TW
