Bizarre film follows feline photographer Larry Johnson at New Jersey cat show

In Mark Zemel’s short film The Purrtraitist, we follow renowned cat portrait photographer Larry Johnson on a trip to a cat show in Parsippany, New Jersey. The show is heaven for feline enthusiasts and the strain between the contestants is palpable as dozens of moggies sit there lazy and nonchalant. “90% of the people here know who I am, but I still hand out flyers”, Larry explains as we see him moving between elaborate cages and introducing himself as owners comb their kitties for the 100th time.

The photographer spends most of his time taking pictures of cats against a blue velvet backdrop in a bid to capture their true personalities. “Someone said to me once, ‘cats don’t have much expression,’ they sure do!” Larry joyfully proclaims as he proceeds to mimic the mannerisms of his subjects, wide-eyed and curved-backed. Mark’s film captures the eccentricity of Larry wonderfully, and in allowing Larry to speak freely as unofficial narrator, his love for his job frames the visuals perfectly.