The Last of the Sea Women (PG)
Directed by Sue Kim 

 
“BEING an haenyeo is a calling,” states one of the extraordinary protagonists in Sue Kim’s enlightening directorial debut feature about a little-known but fierce band of women in South Korea. 

“Haenyeos are the guardians of the ocean and we have protected it for hundreds of years,” she continues, as they fear their way of life is on the verge of extinction. 

The haenyeos, or sea women, are a group of formidable female divers, most now in their sixties, seventies and eighties (one is 90), in Jeju Island who dive to the ocean floor without oxygen to harvest marine life for their livelihood.

The film follows them as they spend hours at sea every day. Their sheer athleticism and endurance is unbelievable given their age and they are a true inspiration particularly to younger members who promote themselves via social media. 

In 2016 they were recognised by Unesco which included them in their List of Intangible Cultural Heritage but, as one of the women claims, what is the point when they cannot get any benefits? 

One of the haenyeos is forced to stop working when she injures her foot and they are not covered by health insurance. They point out that the fishing co-operatives only provide compensation on death, not following an injury, which beggars belief. 

Co-produced by Malala Yousafzai, her first film production, this insightful and moving documentary shines a fascinating light on this matriarchal society in which the women are the breadwinners.

Their heyday was in the 1960s when they peaked at 30,000 haenyeos, compared to just 4,000 today. 

It also shows how fiercely they fought to stop Japan dumping radioactive wastewater (deemed safe) from the tsunami-ravaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.

One of the haenyeos made an impassioned appeal in person to the UN’s Human Rights Council in Geneva. They fear the devastating effects on the sea life, and on their own health as they swallow sea water every time they dive, and urge authorities to consider the generations to come. 

However the film poses more questions than it answers, such as what happened following the UN address, why haven’t the haenyeos been awarded health benefits and why don’t they use oxygen tanks as the younger members want. 

It pays wonderful homage to these fearless, independent and empowering elderly women who defy their age and are an example to us all. 

Available on Apple TV+ from October 11.