Take Care of My Cat

In the bleak port city of Incheon, five young women begin to transition from high school to adulthood. The film follows their separate struggles—career ambitions, family pressures, and poverty—within a harsh urban backdrop.

Bi-ryu and Ohn-jo live on their own in an ethnic Chinese enclave, selling handmade jewellery on the street. Their Chinese-speaking grandparents have disowned their mother, creating a fragile family dynamic. They navigate poverty and cultural tension as they survive day by day.

Hae-joo tries to prove her value at a Seoul brokerage firm, eager to climb the corporate ladder. She throws herself into work, hoping to impress her bosses and escape the bottom rung. The pressure of performance drives her focus on improving her appearance and demeanor.

Despite her efforts, Hae-joo is relegated to menial tasks—sending faxes, fetching coffee, and taking notes. She feels invisible within the rigid workplace hierarchy. The position exposes the gap between ambition and opportunity for young women.

Tae-hee endures belittlement from her middle-class, heteropatriarchal family, dreaming of breaking away. She is drawn to ferry terminals and foreign migrant workers, seeking glimpses of a freer life. Her resolve to leave home grows even as she lacks a clear destination.

Ji-young cannot secure meaningful employment and drifts from one low-wage job to another. She lives in a dilapidated house with her elderly grandparents and Teetee the kitten, facing mounting poverty. The roof’s condition worsens as landlords delay repairs, trapping her in hardship.

Hae-joo and Ji-young, once best friends in high school, drift apart as their lives diverge due to class and opportunity gaps. Their paths rarely intersect as Hae-joo climbs the corporate ladder while Ji-young struggles to survive. The difference in status strains their relationship.

One night, Ji-young stays with the twins and returns home early the next morning to a catastrophe. The roof of her house collapses, killing her elderly grandparents. The moment shatters her already fragile world and sets the story on a darker course.

With police unwilling to help and no family to vouch for her, Ji-young is locked up in juvenile detention despite having committed no crime. The system underscores the precarious position of young women in poverty. She faces isolation and uncertainty about her future.

Tae-hee tracks Ji-young down and visits her inside the detention facility. They confront their shared vulnerability and the flaws in their circumstances. Tae-hee’s support hints at a possible renewed alliance between them.

Ji-young is released, and Tae-hee waits outside with a packed suitcase, signaling a turning point. Their reunion is tentative, built on a plan to seek something beyond their immediate poverty. The moment marks the start of a new, uncertain journey.

Ji-young learns that Tae-hee has run away from home, taking the money she was owed for a year. The revelation solidifies their decision to travel together. They discuss a Working Holiday as a possible route to a new life.

The film ends with Tae-hee and Ji-young at Incheon International Airport, ready to depart for an unknown destination. They carry their burdens but cling to a shared hope for liberation. The airport setting underscores the uncertain future awaiting them.