Henri (cat)
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Henri, le Chat Noir (; French for "Henry, the Black Cat") is a
web series A web series (also known as a web show) is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single in ...
of short films on the
existential Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...
musings of the cat Henri, written and directed by William Braden. Henri was portrayed by Henry (2003–2020), a male longhair
tuxedo cat Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element ...
. Videos featuring Henri have been viewed millions of times, and have been featured by news outlets such as ''
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'' and
ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
.


Production

The first short film, ''Henri'', was a project by William Braden, who was studying at the Seattle Film Institute. Braden was inspired by the American perception of
French film French cinema consists of the film industry and its film productions, whether made within the nation of France or by French film production companies abroad. It is the oldest and largest precursor of national cinemas in Europe; with primary influ ...
s as "very pretentious and self-involved. ..And what could be more self-absorbed and pampered than a house cat?" Braden wrote the scripts while his mother, who is fluent in French, helped with pronunciation and proper usage. ''Henri'' was written, filmed and edited in eleven days.


Short films


''Henri'' (2007)

Henri was released on May 27, 2007. It was written and directed by Braden and produced by the Seattle Film Institute.


''Henri 2, Paw De Deux'' (2012)

The second short film, Henri 2, Paw de Deux, was released on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
on April 6, 2012. ''Henri 2, Paw de Deux'' won the "Golden Kitty Award" for "Best Cat Video On The Internet" at the
Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States and, to ...
's
Internet Cat Video Festival The ''Internet Cat Video Festival'' was a national competition that celebrates cat videos on the internet. Many of these festivals include appearances by special guests and celebricats (such as Grumpy Cat and the creator of Nyan Cat), live music, c ...
. On September 8, 2012, ''Henri 2, Paw de Deux'' was shown on television during the season finale of
Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily ...
's
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...
show '' My Cat from Hell''. In receiving the award, director Braden told '' Mashable'' "This is a great honor. I don't think I've ever purred this loudly."


''Henri 3, Le Vet'' (2012)

The third short film, Henri 3, Le Vet, was released on YouTube on June 20, 2012.


''Henri - Politique'' (2012)

The fourth short film, Henri - Politique, was released on YouTube on September 27, 2012. ''Henri - Politique'' was produced as an example entry for ''
The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington ...
'''s political video contest.


''Henri 4, L'Haunting'' (2012)

The fifth short film, Henri 4, L'Haunting, was released on YouTube on October 30, 2012.


''Henri 5, "The Worst Noël"'' (2012)

The sixth short film, Henri 5, "The Worst Noël", was released on YouTube on December 21, 2012.


''Henri - "On Cat Food Boredom"'' (2013)

Friskies Friskies is an American brand of wet and dry cat food and treats owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, a subsidiary of Nestlé global. Friskies was initially introduced by Carnation Company in the 1930s as a dog food brand. When Friskies c ...
commissioned a series of four short films on the subject of "cat food boredom". The first part of this series, Henri - "On Cat Food Boredom", was released on YouTube on February 28, 2013. The second part was released on March 13, 2013. The third part was released on March 27, 2013. The fourth and final part was released on April 15, 2013.


''Henri 6, "Cat Littérature"'' (2013)

The eleventh short film, Henri 6, "Cat Littérature", was released on YouTube on April 30, 2013.


''Henri 7 - "The Cat is Sat"'' (2013)

The twelfth short film, Henri 7 - "The Cat is Sat", was released on YouTube on August 28, 2013.


''Henri 8 - "Artiste"'' (2014)

The thirteenth short film, Henri 8 - "Artiste", was released on YouTube on January 7, 2014.


''Henri 9 - "Blight of Spring"'' (2014)

The fourteenth short film, Henri 9 - "Blight of Spring", was released on YouTube on May 6, 2014.


''Henri 10 - "Reigning Cat and Dog"'' (2014)

The fifteenth short film, Henri 10 - "Reigning Cat and Dog", was released on YouTube on December 30, 2014.


''Henri - "Bacon"'' (2015)

The sixteenth short film Henri - "Bacon" was released on YouTube on March 18, 2015, and was sponsored by
Friskies Friskies is an American brand of wet and dry cat food and treats owned by Nestlé Purina PetCare Company, a subsidiary of Nestlé global. Friskies was initially introduced by Carnation Company in the 1930s as a dog food brand. When Friskies c ...
.


''Henri 11 - "Oh, revoir"'' (2018)

The seventeenth and final short film, Henri 11 - "Oh, revoir", was released on YouTube on May 18, 2018. It announced Henri's retirement from the film series. The ending card reads, "Henri thanks all of his fans/worshippers for all their support. He looks forward to a healthy and productive retirement. He might even sit on a lap."


In print

Ten Speed Press Ten Speed Press is a publishing house founded in Berkeley, California in 1971 by Phil Wood. Ten Speed Press was bought by Random House in February 2009 and is now part of their Crown Publishing Group division. History Wood worked with Barnes & ...
, a subsidiary of
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
, released the book ''Henri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst-Filled Cat'', written by Braden, on April 30, 2013. A subsequent book, entitled ''Reflections on Human Folly'', was published in paperback in 2016 thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $12,038.


Other media appearances

On November 13, 2014, Henry and Braden made an appearance as clients on
Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily ...
's '' Tanked'' in which Braden consults with Brett Raymer and Wayde King on building an aquarium for Henri.Reveal: Henri the Cat's TV Tank , Tanked
-
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
(uploaded November 14, 2014)


Reception

Film critic Roger Ebert called ''Henri 2, Paw De Deux'' "The best internet cat video ever made." ''
Boing Boing ''Boing Boing'' is a website, first established as a zine in 1988, later becoming a group blog. Common topics and themes include technology, futurism, science fiction, gadgets, intellectual property, Disney, and left-wing politics. It twic ...
'''s science editor Maggie Koerth-Baker also called ''Henri 2, Paw De Deux'' "The best cat video on the Internet". ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' reviewed the short film as "a little bit arty, a little bit cheeky, decisively feline in focus ... it's perfect. Or, er, purrfect." ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'', in reviewing ''Henri 3, Le Vet'', called Henri "almost like a feline Serge Gainsbourg, just without the singing, or the alcoholism, or the public scandal. Or maybe he's not like that at all. Maybe Henri, is, as he so eloquently states in his latest film, his 'own cat.'"


Henry


Personal life

Henry was adopted from the Seattle Animal Shelter in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. Braden told ''
The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington ...
'' in 2012 that Henry's actual ownership was a "private matter," but later revealed that Henry lived with Braden's mother.Facebook Henri le Chat Noir December 10, 2020 Accessed May 17, 2021
/ref> Braden described Henry as "a good atured and happy cat" who "never suffered a single existential crisis during his life," enjoyed chin scratches, and had nothing in common with the brooding character Henri he portrayed on film.


Death

On December 10, 2020, Braden announced that Henry had been
euthanized Animal euthanasia ( euthanasia from el, εὐθανασία; "good death") is the act of killing an animal or allowing it to die by withholding extreme medical measures. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditi ...
at the age of 17 because of a debilitating deterioration of his spine.


See also

*
List of individual cats This is a list of famous cats which achieved some degree of popularity either in their own right or by association with someone famous. Before the modern era * Nedjem or Nojem ( Egyptian: ''nḏm'' "Sweet One" or "Sweetie"), 15th century BC. The ...


References


External links

* {{IMDb title, 1332526 2003 animal births 2010s YouTube series 2020 animal deaths 2000s YouTube series Animals on the Internet Existentialist works Individual cats in the United States