Take Care of My Cat (2001): The coming-of-age of a generation

ByFabian Bullitt

2001 • Jeong Jae-eun • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓

Directed by Jeong Jae-eun, Take Care of My Cat follows a group of young women in Incheon as they navigate the transition from school to working life. As they pursue different paths, be it employment, education or uncertainty, their once close-knit friendship begins to fragment under the pressures of economic reality and diverging expectations.

Shifting among characters, the film explores the hardships of life for young women from different social strata in early-2000s South Korea through multiple points of view, rather than focusing on a single trajectory. As they move from Incheon’s industrial areas to residential neighbourhoods and through transitional urban zones, the friends rapidly disconnect from each other in a changing social environment.

Focusing on everyday realities, Take Care of My Cat examines themes of class, labour and identity in early adulthood. It is a rare example of a story told from a female perspective at the time, and it is seen today as capturing a specific generational moment.

Technical Specs:

  • The Story: Five young women in Incheon struggle to maintain their friendship after high school as they face diverging paths, personal hardships, and the pressures of adulthood. Read my review of Take Care of My Cat.
  • Actors: Bae Doona, Lee Yo-won, Ok Ji-young, Lee Eun-shil, Lee Eun-ju, Kim Hye-ok, Moon Jung-hee.
  • Director: Jeong Jae-eun
  • Year: 2001
  • Cinematographer: Choi Young-hwan
  • Origin: Korean Cinema
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Genre: Drama
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