Off the coast of Jeju Island in South Korea, groups of women in their 60s, 70s and 80s daily plunge into the depths of the ocean to harvest seafood without oxygen tanks.
Quick facts about The Last Woman of the Sea
What: A documentary highlighting the challenges facing the centuries-old, dying tradition of haenyeo, Korean women’s free divers.
Director:Sue Kim.
Starring: Soon Deok Jang, Joo Hwa Kang, Jin Sohee, Woo Jeongmin (and countless other haenyeo).
When: Now on Apple TV+.
It will probably make you feel: A bittersweet feeling of strength and sadness.
These extraordinary women are known as haenyeo, free divers from a self-sufficient matriarchal community, and are the subjects of the new documentary The Last of the Sea Women.
Directed by filmmaker Sue Kim and produced by human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, the documentary details the dying tradition of the haenyeo ancestors, besieged on all sides by the insurmountable forces of climate change, the reluctance of younger generations to participate in such a dangerous profession, and the ecological catastrophe that looms to the fore.
The child of Korean immigrants, Kim often visited Korea and was introduced to the amazing haenyeo.
“It was a super cool, tough, strong and empowered community of women that left an impression on me at a young age. They fascinated me when I was growing up,” she says.
Kim haenyeo’s deep interest intensified when she learned that the current generation would likely be the last.
“What really made me want to make this documentary was the realization that these are disappearing cultures and that we might not have them for a long time,” he says.
“I felt the need to try to document them while we still had them, while they could tell their story in their own words.”
Director Sue Kim (top left) with Yousafzai (second from left) and two of the documentary’s subjects, Soon Deok Jang and Lee Hee Soon (bottom right). (Getty Images: Gareth Cattermole)
But the document was almost never created. Working tirelessly for several years to find production companies and streamers to collaborate with, everything fell into place for Kim when she met Yousafzai. “The Last Woman of the Sea” is the first feature film produced by Yousafzai Extracurrcular.
“I started this production company to work with amazing directors and writers who wanted to bring the perspectives of women we don’t often see to the screen,” says Yousafzai.
“I was so surprised that I didn’t know about haenyeo. This is so important, so important for women around the world to hear their voices, connect with them and learn more about them.”
Indomitable spirit
Haenyeo usually begins training at the age of seven. When they turn 17, they become full-fledged haenyeo, ready to take on the challenge.
The older haenyeo, the oldest of which is 90 years old, have been diving to depths of 10 meters under the ocean for almost their entire lives and have been called mermaids. Often unstable on land, they transform when their fins hit the water, donning only helmets and diving suits.
The haenyeo divers in The Last of the Sea Women range in age from their 30s to their 90s. (Included: Apple TV+)
“I really love their strength, their energy, their resilience, and how they have more energy than anyone else, even in their 80s and 90s,” Yousafzai says.
Watching The Last of the Sea Women made Yousafzai question why women were taught to “doubt themselves, underestimate themselves, and (see) their bodies as weak.”
“When I think about what haenyeo are capable of and how they do it for hours every day, I want the girls watching them to know that they can do anything – physically and intellectually.”
Irreversible effects of climate change
Everything haenyeo do is steeped in deep respect for nature. The fact that they do not carry oxygen tanks means that they are sustainably exploiting the ocean without plundering it. They care deeply about its regeneration – partly because it is their only source of income, partly because it is an ointment.
Haenyeo are like frontline workers in landscapes that have been irreversibly changed by climate change. They are seeing a shortage of caught seafood as global warming and rising temperatures affect their valuable marine ecosystems.
Haenyeo do not wear oxygen masks when they dive into the depths of the ocean in search of seafood. (Included: Apple TV+ )
Under Kim’s leadership, the story of climate change runs parallel to the story of the dying haenyeo tradition.
“The Haenyeo have told us many times how the ocean is dying,” Kim says.
“It was an unfortunate reality that came to the fore. Haenyeo have been in the ocean every day, year after year, for decades. They are the ones who can confirm exactly how deep and significant the environmental damage to the ocean is.”
Activists released
Halfway through the documentary, we learn about the Japanese government’s controversial decision to release treated radioactive wastewater from Fukushima into the ocean near Jeju Island.
The Haenyeo take up the cause and begin to organize and protest against the decision, moving the collective action from Tokyo to Geneva, where diver Soon Deok Jang speaks before the UN about the harmful effects of the sewage release.
Yousafzai was struck by the sense of sisterhood and community of haenyeo divers. (Included: Apple TV+ )
“It reminded me that one can become an activist at any age when they feel they need to speak up to defend their community and the environment,” Yousafzai says.
“I really love the sense of sisterhood and unity between them, the way they connect with human rights experts, environmental experts and young activists.”
Unaccustomed to missing even a day of work, haenyeo take time off to protest Japan’s decision.
“It gave me hope that we can stand up together and defend the cause we believe in,” Yousafzai says.
haenyeo live broadcast
Kim began filming haenyeo armed with a question: How can we preserve and protect our ancient cultures while reconciling them with the modern society in which we live?
What comes to the fore is the lack of interest among younger generations in keeping traditions alive. But this dilemma meets its beautiful antithesis in the form of two thirty-something haenyeo, Jin Sohee and Woo Jeongmin, who forage for seafood on Geoje Island, filming themselves on TikTok and YouTube.
Jin and Woo became haenyeo for what Kim calls “postmodern” reasons: Jin wanted to trade her life as an office drone for a job that would allow her to work in nature and incorporate physical fitness into her daily life; Woo wanted flexibility as a working mom.
“The way they discovered haenyeo culture, and then the way they embraced it and developed it further, is a beautiful reflection of how we can all look at our ancient cultures and traditions and learn how to integrate them into our daily lives.” . Kim says.
Yousafzai hopes viewers will come away from the film with an understanding of the historical and cultural significance of haenyeo divers. (Included: Apple TV+ )
Parting words
For Yousafzai, this documentary provides viewers with an important lesson in how matriarchal societies exist in harmony with each other and the environment.
Kim hopes policymakers will understand the “real human cost” of their decisions, often made in sterile halls of power, without regard to the communities they adversely impact.
“Marginalized communities are the most damaged by these kinds of reckless environmental decisions,” he says.
“I hope this reaches people – the true negative consequences of decisions like this for people like haenyeo, an incredibly important historical community and culture.”
“The Last of the Sea Women” is now streaming on Apple TV+.
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