Cat in the Wall

Cat in the Wall starts on an innocuous premise: single mother Irina finds a cat that seems lost in the building where she lives with her brother Vlado, and decides to adopt it to please her young son. But soon enough, a conflict erupts with the neighbors who claim the cat is theirs. What follows is an entertaining plot that takes on serious questions around the lives of highly educated immigrants from Eastern Europe to the UK, but also social conflicts revolving around class and race.

Co-directed by two Bulgarian-British female filmmakers, Cat in the Wall has a naturalistic style that feels documentary-like at times. But it is also a comedy full of sharp social observations and dark humor. Actress Irina Atanasova delivers a convincing performance in the role of the energetic protagonist, disenchanted by communism and the corruption in her home country, and ready to fight for a better life in her adopted country.