Take Care of My Cat: Screening and Conversation

Walking in Between: A Bae Doona Retrospective

ADMISSION:
Admission is free and open to everyone. Reservations required. RSVP below beginning Monday, January 4, at 10 a.m.

DESCRIPTION:
Celebrate the conclusion of the Bae Doona retrospective with a screening of Take Care of My Cat (2001), followed by a conversation with actor Bae Doona and director Jeong Jae-eun, moderated by Youngmin Choe, Chair of USC Dornsife’s Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.

Produced at the beginning of the careers of both Jeong Jae-eun and Bae Doona, Take Care of My Cat is set in Incheon at the turn of the millennium. Jeong’s acclaimed debut follows five young women navigating friendship, work, and uncertain futures after high school. Bae Doona stars as Tae-hie, a front desk worker at her family’s sauna who dreams of traveling the world on a rowboat while holding together the group’s tapering friendship.

This is One Part of a Series!
This is the last event in Walking in Between: A Bae Doona Retrospective, celebrating the filmography of one of the most internationally recognized Korean actresses working today. Featuring screenings, conversations, and interviews with Bae Doona and other special guests, the series explores how her work has connected with audiences around the world.

Related Events:
Cloud Atlas
Wednesday, February 10, at 6 p.m.
Michelle and Kevin Douglas IMAX Theatre
More info and RSVP

Air Doll
Thursday, February 11, at 7 p.m.
Ray Stark Family Theatre, School of Cinematic Arts 108
More info and RSVP

Bios:
Bae Doona is an internationally acclaimed South Korean actress whose career spans film, television, and global streaming platforms. She gained early recognition in Bong Joon-ho’s Barking Dogs Never Bite and The Host, as well as Park Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, before earning international acclaim for her leading role in Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Air Doll. She later achieved global recognition through the Wachowski sisters’ Cloud Atlas and Netflix’s Sense8. Bae is celebrated for her versatility and emotionally nuanced performances across genres and cultures.

Jeong Jae-eun is a South Korean filmmaker known for her thoughtful explorations of youth, community, and social change. Her acclaimed debut feature, Take Care of My Cat (2001), became a landmark portrayal of young women’s lives and remains influential in Korean cinema. Her later work, including Talking Architect (2011), City: Hall (2013), and Ecology in Concrete (2017), examines architecture, public space, democracy, and environmental sustainability through documentary and experimental forms.

Youngmin Choe is an Associate Professor of Korean Cinema and Visual Culture and Chair of the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at USC. Her publications include Hanyo (The Housemaid) (BFI, 2025), Tourist Distractions: Traveling and Feeling in Transnational Hallyu Cinema, and The Korean Popular Culture Reader (co-editor). Her research has appeared in leading film and media journals, including Cinema Journal and the Journal of Japanese and Korean Cinema.

Presented by USC Visions and Voices. Organized by Sunyoung Park (East Asian Languages and Cultures and Korean Studies Institute), Gloria Koo (Korean Studies Institute), and USC students: Jiwoong Choi (East Asian Languages and Cultures), Caitlyn Chung (East Asian Languages and Cultures), Minji Kim (Cinematic Arts), and Jiwon Park (Cinematic Arts).