Charmolipi - The story of two stray cats
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2021
- This film is the story of two stray cats on the Greek Island of Skiathos, Rocky and Severus, and my bond with them. It is a film that anyone with a love of animals will connect with and for anyone who doesn't to hopefully respect animals more.
Charmolipi is the perfect word and title for this film. It is an old Greek work made up of 'chara' (joy) and 'lipi' (sadness). There is no equivalent word in English, it means a feeling of happiness and sadness at the sad time.
This is the most personal film I have ever made. It was filmed whilst I was on holiday. I set out to make a film that explained why I love going there, to show the beauty of this island in the best way I could. I also needed to show why it is a place that can make me profoundly sad and after each visit these two feelings become so entwined it is hard to feel one without the other. That is what the goal of the film was. Events took over though and it became something much more than was planned.
Initially it will feel like a bit of a travelogue, but it really is not. There is a slow build for a reason. Different locations, places, things and the cats are all characters that play a big role within the film as it progresses. As I am your eyes I am also a character, there are people in it but they, bar a couple of people, are all very much in the background. There is a reason for this and it's something you will understand by the end.
It is hard to define what specific genre this film is. It is not a documentary but in many ways it is because it is real, it tells a story, an evolving one but it's not a documentary in the traditional; sense. It's a very emotive film and as I mentioned this is very personal; 2 weeks though my eyes feeling what I feel conveyed with beautiful visuals and beautiful music. It is also very rich in natural sound.
There is no voice over and only about 10 words spoken visually on camera. The story is through the images and sound as well as the text that I sprinkle throughout the film.
I hope this film connects with you, it was a labour of love and means the world to me. It also took everything out of me both filming and reliving it again and again and again whilst editing it.
If you could help the charity, the Skiathos Cat Welfare Association, I would be so grateful. They do such amazing work to keep these beautiful animals fed and healthy. I haven't seen a Greek island with so many healthy looking cats, its a huge credit to them. Their website is skiathos-cats.org
I have made many films in Skiathos now and this is probably my favourite of them, in fact it could one of the films I am most proud of in my career. The Skiathos Kittens series is also very special to me because it is how I came to adopt Harriet and Jimmy.. You can see the series on this channel or by clicking on the playlist here: • The Skiathos Kittens 
Животные
I said goodbye to my cat last week and probably shouldn’t be watching this video. I feel kind of lost right now not having a kitty in my home. I held Callie in my arms well beyond the time the vet said she was gone and very much welcomed the weird reception lady giving me multiple hugs. I haven’t been in this position for 17 years, not having at cat. I only want to give my pets wonderful lives. This was a very beautiful video. Thank you.
Oh my god, you had me crying my eyes out. Great job. Love for cats!
I cried so sad. I myself have 5 cats... So i understand. I feed some outside. God bless you we are not the only ones helping these beautiful souls and I take strength in that.
I don’t know how you and all the other volunteers do it but I’m very glad you do. It’s a beautiful film.
This needs way more views..more need to this. What a poinent little film about the suffering humans do to cats , and the effort of those who care, and the absolute nessity to spay and neuter cats.
This was beautiful. I cried so much. I am so glad you have ended up adopting sevvy so she can spend the rest of her many years without fear of being hurt.
Thank you. Having her here is so wonderful ❤️
My wife asked, "why are you still up?" Not noticing the tears in my eyes; I just smiled thinking to myself, how could I sleep to such a beautiful story.
So happy that in a recent video you’ve revealed you rescued Severus too and she is safe
I cant fin that anywhere :(
thank you so much for doing such beautiful things on the island, loving Rocky till he reach the rainbow bridge so he felt the human warm on the planet. Give 2 thumbs up to you. I am one of the cat lover from Hong Kong
You're a better person than me. I would have lost it at the woman that kicked poor Severous. I'm glad other people were on your side. What a horrible person that woman was.
Omg my thoughts exactly i don’t have that type of patience
for real. someone who abuses an animal divests themselves of the right to not have their throat punched in.
Sevvy lives with me now and she very happy. 🙂❤️
@@OneManFiveCats I am so happy she's in a good home where people will never mistreat her again. Thank you for your kindness.
Philip: I just started following you. This video made me cry and cry. I love the heart you have for “the beach cats.” I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been so tolerate of the woman who kicked Severus.…some sand in her face would have been totally appropriate. The story of Harriet and Jimmy The Greek was heartwarming. I live in the U.S. (Texas). I’m going to donate to your cause. Don’t ever give up. The cats need more people like you. Thank you for what you do. 🦊
Hello 👋 Karen, forgive me for using this meduim in expressing that i think you're an attractive woman with calming smiles.
I adopted Sevvy last year finally. I couldn’t leave her there anymore. She’s settled in very well as you can see in my last two main videos ❤️
This video should have at least 1M views. 🙌🏻❤️
Loved watching this just like the first time I saw it. It's just as heart breaking now as it was then. Thank you so much for doing your part for these amazing animals, Philip.
Thank you for opening the world's eyes to Skiathos, its stray cats and the good work of the Skiathos Cat Welfare Assocation. Well done.
This story broke my heart.... Thank you for sharing it. And thank you for saving Sevvy! I've rewatched litter video to see her again, now that I know the story. I wish you and all your furballs many cuddles and long happy life!
I have been in your situation - it was so good of you...
Great video, so sad though. Personally, I think that any crimes that a person commits against an animal should be punished as harshly as a crime against another person. If a person feels the need to attack and harm an animal that is 1/10th their size, an animal that realistically has very little capacity to harm them compared to the damage they can inflict on the animal; does not deserve the freedom to be around said animals. They would probably do the same to any person they felt was "beneath" them if they thought they could get away with it.
What a wonderful human being you are! My rescue cat and I watched this together. My first cat, got run over when I was 8, still feel the pain and I am 63 now.
This film is so unbelievably good
It made me crying a lot. Philip has a good heart!
Hi Philip. Love your stories on Skiathos cats…bittersweet but so beautiful and engaging. I, myself, adopted a cat last year but she came from Cairo to Toronto and KC (kitty cat) is a lovely and much loved member of our family. I’ve made a donation this morning to the Skiathos Cat Welfare charity. Please keep up the amazing work you do and thank you.
When I tell you I was bawling😭😭😭😭 almost the entire vid, mad at the woman (more like monster) who kicked Baby Severus, upset about the lack of help for these babies (they should at least be fed by the locals more than they are to help the organization) and their abuse. I know animal abuse happens all over the world, and it upsets me sooooooooooooo much🤬😭🤬🤬🤬 (not enough o's can be typed yo describe how mad I am at animal abusers) to know that the laws are basically laugh at by people or there are lack of laws preventing abuse to these babies. I volunteer for an animal rescue and I am sad I can't be a millionaire to donate money to care for all of these babies--houses for them, funds for their treatments when needed, adoption services, the list goes on.
I thank you sir for this vid, and I am so sad you don't have more followers. I will be sharing your channel and this vid. This needs to be seen.
Much love to you and yours...
Thank you :)!
i came across your youtube channel a few days ago and since then I am fascinated of you and your work. charmolipi impressed me very, very deeply! thank you for being an important human who loves so many of these stray cats. you are right! the world must change - in many ways. thank you for making such stunning film-artwork! i wish you all the best and keep healthy.
I found your channel yesterday because of your electronic litter box review. OMG, I haven't cried so much in a very long time! Watched your three part series, and now this. I have a newfound appreciation for my rescue cat Chloe [short for Clover, born St Patrick's day] she came into my life in 2008. I'm highly allergic but had her for a year before finding that out 😆 she's been with with me through the loss of two fur-babies that raised her both dogs [Beka & Dino] and Lily the sister of Benson [chiweenie dogs]. Now it's just Benson & Chloe with me. THANK YOU for what you are doing in bringing awareness! Donated & shared on Twitter
Thanks very much Chris. It’s much appreciated.
I couldn’t save Rocky but the relief of Severus being with me now is huge! ❤️
I’m bawling. Poor Rocky didn’t deserve what happened to him. It must have gutted you as you held him, but he was cared for at the last. The grave you made for him was very heartfelt. Rest well, little man.
I don’t know how you held back on the bitch that kicked Severus. I wouldn’t have been so restrained. Perhaps karma will have her way with both of them.
Hug your babies at home. We know how much they are loved as are the kitties that you help care for on Skiathos. Bless the people who run the sanctuary and help care for all of the cats on the island year round. It takes a truly big heart to be willing to keep helping knowing that there are people like that ugly-hearted couple.
Thank you. Sevvy is now here with me. ❤️
@@OneManFiveCats, I’m so glad he’s with you.
@@ItsJustLisa he's a she, but thank you! :)
this had such a tremendous impact on me. the simple beauty in their every day existence. i wonder if the mackenzie scott philanthropy foundation could help in any way. thank you for this beautiful and gut wrenching film.
I love your videos. The production on them are beautifully done. Your videos are heartwarming and dial cherishing all at the same time. They always make me smile and cry. Please continue with your content you have a a lot to share with the world.
Thank you. 🙂
You had me in tears you are a very kind and gentle man thanks for caring 😢
Thanks Pauline. Severus lives with me now which is a huge relief. ❤️
Wow I love how thoughtful you are with making this movie and the care for these cats. It is only for people like you and others who save and help animals keeps me feeling hopeful about the world. Thank you so much.
Such a powerful story with wonderful cinematography, ... truly, and music to complement and deepen.
Retired, my wife and I now volunteer making special video slideshows for local non-profits in the Pacific NW of the United States, including some support for an animal welfare org and modest volunteer video work for Weema International an NGO working in rural SE Ethiopia. My wife Lolly and I are cat people and I have been feeding stray cats or helping to look for lost cats for many years here in Seattle, Washington. As you know too well, a necessarily, bittersweet calling as a debt we owe for what our own cat companions have brought into our lives.
We want to visit the Greek Islands. Thanks to you, Skiathos and the island's Cat Welfare Association will become part of our experience of Greece and certainly a donation before, to continue their work. A way of establishing a more meaningful link than as transitory tourists, just as seeing Ethiopia and the African continent for the first time was made all the richer as volunteers for Weema working with local Ethiopians on a clean water project in Mudula.
Many regards.
Heartbreaking Video. Thank you for filming. Good Wishes from Germany
Thank you for sharing about the Skiathos cats! We are & will be praying for them. 😻😻💔♥️♥️♥️
My husband and I love cats too! We used to care for a mixed colony of dumped, stray & feral cats in northern California. We had to move and could only take 2 with us. It still breaks our hearts.
We still have Gandalf, black & gray tabby with white. Antares, orange tabby, passed away. We have adopted 2 feral cats from where we live now - Mari, black, and Bella, brown & cream tabby.
Their love gets me through each day. I'm thankful that I can share my life with them.
I'm glad you have your kitties with you! I'm also glad you are using your talent and resources to spread the news and appeal to others in such a beautiful way! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️🐈🤗
The quote from Mahatma Gandhi is so appropriate. 💚💚💚 Indeed, "the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.". I feel it is also true of individuals and the humanity and goodness of a person can be judged by the way he or she treats animals. When I watch this film, I can see what a good person you are, Philip!
This is a very moving and sensitive film, it is beautifully filmed and the choice of music is so perfect.
How lovely to see Harriet and Jimmy who now live with you in England!
Thank you!
I'm a cat lover myself. I cried a lot but loved watching this video. Thanks. It was wonderful.
You have a heart of gold, Philip Bloom! 💛This film is beautiful, thoughtful, and so touching.❤️ 🐾
Sat here in silence having watched this. I have tears. Beautiful film but oh so sad. I honestly don't know how you walked away from that couple. It was the right thing to do but I don't know how you did. Off to spend some time now with our little one. Thank you Philip...you're quite something.
Thank you Glyn. Sitting with Sevvy was priority, making sure she was OK.
Sometimes, it's a crap old world but it's made all the better through the love, warmth and empathy these beautiful furry creatures share with us.
Amazing film talk about pro level and i cried. That women that kicked Severus i hope she burns in hell. If a cat attacks you and you defend yourself that's one thing but for Severus to be laying there in the sand asleep. like I said hope she burns in hell.
Rocky looks just like my Markus :’( this is making me cry so much , thank you for giving him love during such a painful time .. it feels like i just saw Markus dying, this is very painful to see but I’m glad he wasn’t left to suffer alone , God bless you and ur family and everyone u love and everyone involved with caring for all those lil babies , i wish u all only the happiest and best lives for helping the kitties that need it the most , u give them hope in this cruel and cold world and so many kitties don’t even get a chance to experience something so simple as affection … rocky must’ve felt so loved, and although he went thru something so terrible, he understood and experienced true love before he left this earth ❤️🥺❤️🐱❤️thank you !!
Thank you. I wish i had known him longer. I visit his grave every year to tidy it up and remember him. 💔
I was absolutely sobbing with this. Blessed animals, all of them. May karma be quick in dealing with those that hurt any animals! Thank you for all you do, you are a beautiful soul and the beautiful cats are so lucky to have your help and that of the kind people at the shelter xoxo
This film should be in theatres.
This was beautiful, thank you so much for sharing it. Off to hug my cat now
super cute cat.
I love your films. So beautifully shot and the emotion is that mix of joy and sadness
I had to bury my beloved cat Misty and felt for you my dude! I would of eradicated those bastards. How dare they harm that poor baby! You lack a hatred of people which is why you acted like you did. Probably better off, but tell me, you wouldn't of loved to smack the hell out of the laughing douchebag!
This sucked me in man and so inspired by you. You really set up those shots brilliantly! Genius and thanks for doing what you do.
In a recent video doing product testing of robot litter trays, it’s been revealed Severus is now in England and Philip is now one man six cats
She is indeed with me now. ❤️❤️
Philip of course I’m wondering how long before all the Skiathos cats end up in the U.K. with you and your channel becomes one man 300,000 cats.
@@molybdomancer195 there’s only about 2,500 there thankfully. It would be asker to just move there!
The rubber bands are such a great touch.
I think this should get 800K views instead of 800. Lovely lovely lovely
I cried so much after seeing this. It breaks my heart that humans are so stupid and cruel. I pray that horrible women is punished for her ignorance and cruelty
What a lovely caring man you are, I am also a cat lover, love your videos, although they are very emotional 😭 thank you for all you do to help the cats of Skiathos 😻
I just can't stop crying.
Beautiful Phillip, this was a tear jerker for me and I feel the same way about cats. They are such incredible beings that I find completely in awe of them. I feel like I know and miss little Rocky. I actually went past the shelter today but it was closed to the public. I’ll be going again this week to check on the floofs. Many blessings and hope you well. Big hug from Cape Town(the guy that gave you a lift the one time and we went to your workshop)
Oh - a repost of this fantastic film to your OMFC-channel. Love it ... even after having it seen for *countless* times.
Great video. As a cat owner myself its really hard to think about the heart breaking decisions you had to make.
Sevvy moved to England last year and she’s settled in really well. 🙂
Another wonderful film, equal parts hard to watch and beautiful. Tearing up at my work desk at 11am wasn’t part of the plan… 🤣
Maybe for the next film, maybe look into explaining why Skaithos has such an issue with stray cats? You touched on it briefly, but there seems to be much more to it than just lax attitudes to keeping pets contained and avoiding unwanted breeding that’s typical, say, here in Australia.
On a happier note, we’re still waiting patiently for the ‘catio’ video ;-)
Thanks Ben. The other Skiathos films talk about the wider cat story. But compared to other Greek islands Skiathos are way more on top of it than the others thanks to the charity’s neutering programme.
Catio video is finally next. I am having to rebuild it so it’s been a good time to do it.
You are truly an amazing man. I just watched the short about Severus and Rocky. I cried the entire time. Thank you for caring and loving the cats there. It breaks my heart to know some people mistreat them and throw them away like garbage. My cats will always come first in my life and that will remain true until I take my last breath.
Funny, I just visited your site to look for the video of how you made your catio and ended up watching the clip. 💜🐾
Thank you. 🙂 Sevvy is here with me now and very happy.
The catio series is finally happening. I am
working on part 1 now. 🙂
I would love too go there to be surrounded by cats relaxing on a beach
I'm not sure how many of these I can take. Left me crying. Do you now own Severus?
Hi new to your channel also follow on Instagram, watching this was very emotional & sad but also you are a very special person when it comes to cats 👍😸
Thank you Diane. I miss Rocky but at least Severus finally lives with me. 🙂
Any word on the 2 cat litters you bought like 3 years ago ? Have they arrived ?
The two cats you mean? Harriet and Jimmy? I talk about them very briefly in the video but they feature in my videos all the time and on my cat channel @onemanfivecats
@@philipbloom nonono you ordered 2 self cleaning cat litters and the date they would arrive kept getting pushed back…have the cat litters arrived ?
@@rodrigov9571 why not ask the question on the video about the litter robot rather than this film which is totally not connected? No, I haven't and I won't. Lost all that money!
@@philipbloom I was watching your videos and it just came to me sorry for the confusion. And wow what a bummer 😕
God I wish you had narrated this. It's truly wonderful but just some feedback.
The decision to have barely any human voices was a deliberate and powerful choice. No narration could have worked as well as this.
So disappointed, I could not have left her. She won't be that lucky next someone wants to hurt her. You can see no one wants to get involved. To leave her there.....
You REALLY need to look at my reply to you on Harriet the beach cat.
Also PLEASE don’t write comments like that, all they do is make me feel like shit. There were many many reasons I couldn’t take her at that time. Not least the impact it would have on mine and how it could badly affect them. Also where do you draw the line? There are thousands of cats on the island who also would be massively better off being adopted. Would you take them all?
So please, think before you write. Thanks.