Casuistry: The Art of Killing a Cat

An infamous case of animal abuse is explored. Artist and former vegetarian Jesse Power attempted to shock his artworld audience with unsettling images intended to make them question his motives. One Friday night in May 2001, Power and friends Reyan Wennekers and Matthew Kaczorowski joined forces to torture and kill a living cat. The intention was to make a video protesting the unthinking killing and consumption of factory-bred animals, by performing similar actions upon a cherished domestic pet, the cat. High on hallucinogens, the trio made a torturous ordeal of the cat's murder while every moment was caught on videotape. Alerted by an outraged roommate, police found the skinned and decapitated cat in the upstairs beer fridge. Power and Wennekers were arrested, while the police seized dozens of videotapes and most of Power's artwork. Although no one had seized the tape, wild rumors quickly spread about an animal serial killer who had skinned a cat alive. The participants discuss what led to the grisly crime, and the aftermath that rippled through their lives. Through a memorial campaign for the cat--posthumously named "Kensington"--animal rights activists doggedly pursue Power. Activists, lawyers, law enforcements officers, and the media present conflicting interpretations of the crime. Excerpts from Power's previous videos provide a further gruesome context to this unsettling documentary portrait of art, justice, and the Canadian way.