Ogigami Naoko has always told stories about people locked in their own isolated worlds and <Rent-A-Cat> is another such film. After her grandmother passes away, Sayoko’s most important duty is renting her cat out to people who suffer from loneliness. Through her conversations with potential clients she is able to figure out what makes them lonely. A geriatric living alone, a father living away from his family, an unmarried woman unable to escape the rigors of her job?all these stories connect Sayoko to them. The cat acts as a conduit to connect Sayoko to these neighbors. Another reason she rents out her cat is that she herself is lonely. She wants to meet a good man and have a family but reality isn’t that simple. She is almost completely cut off from the outside world. Memories of her short childhood friendship with Yoshija are a testament to what a loner she was. Comforted by the fact that there are others like her, we as the audience can relate, and find a piece of ourselves in her. (KIM Ji-Seok)