Director's Statement

I knew I wanted to make this documentary the moment I learned about my friend Daniel’s new cat, Snowpea. The way he told the story, I was laughing hysterically and tearing up all at once. At that moment I knew a film needed to be made about this cat and the humans who love her. 

Snowpea came into Daniel’s life at about 8 years old, and she had lived many lives before finding her way into his. She was found as a stray kitten in St. George, Utah and was flown to Montecito in a private plane. She has spent her life moving in with and then moving on from each of  the families of the neighborhood. One by one, each neighbor would fall in love with her, and (because she didn’t wear a collar) each neighbor would give her a unique name. 

This cat, known as Snowpea, Alice, Daisy, and Butterscotch Swirl, is bewitchingly beautiful and fiercely independent. To know her is to love her. 

Pre production was spent tracking down each of the previous “owners” and convincing them to let me interview them. One of the best days of pre production was the day I, after asking relentlessly for months, confirmed an interview time with the woman who knew her as a kitten.

During production it was a joy to watch Trey Betts (Director of Photography) capture footage of Snowpea. He committed to every shot even if that meant laying in the grass, unmoving for many minutes on end. I filmed the interviews in each family’s backyard. I wanted the interviews to take place outside to establish the feeling that we are all living in Snowpea’s world. She actually appeared during two separate interviews and she was very curious about all of our camera equipment. 

The film turned out to be a little different than I initially envisioned. Where I thought the neighbors would express jealousy towards each other, they were only focused on making sure the cat is happy. I very quickly realized that the film’s message needed to be about the connection we have with animals and the impact they have on our lives. 

Post production was a two month effort and included the collection of over 200 photos and videos taken by each family and the creation of an impeccable original score by Daniel DeVorzon. Ben Nitka expertly edited together the interviews, photos, videos, and music into the film you see today. Creating this film was a beautiful experience and I am delighted to be part of sharing Snowpea’s story with the world. 

Jessie Davidson
December 2023