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The Last of the Sea Women

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The Last of the Sea Women

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Summary

Documentary about the haenyeo, a community of women in South Korea who free-dive to harvest seafood. It's a centuries-old tradition, but their livelihood has come under threat from warming seas, floating waste and, now, a proposal by the Japanese government to dump treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Calum Baker

Recognised by Unesco, the haenyeo are a unique South Korean tradition: a group of women, mostly based on Jeju island, who dive without oxygen to harvest seafood. This excellent documentary captures the divers, most of whom are in their 60s and 70s, as they discuss the history of their practice and the recent threats posed to their livelihood by warming seas and plastic pollution. Despite all this precarity, there are glimmers of hope in the presence of younger haenyeo enthusiasts, while the second half of the film is dedicated to the community's impressive efforts to step up, organise and protest the dumping of Japanese nuclear wastewater into the Pacific. Director Sue Kim handles the information clearly and captures the personalities of her likeable participants with ease and compassion. The women talk of their deep connection to the sea and the pleasure they often get from their toil; but though beautiful underwater photography conveys the poetry of their world, it's the more human material back on dry land that proves most powerful.

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7.0/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameSoon Deok JangSoon Deok Jang Joo Hwa KangJoo Hwa Kang Geum Ok LeeGeum Ok Lee Young Ae JeongYoung Ae Jeong In Sook ParkIn Sook Park Hee Soon LeeHee Soon Lee Im Saeng KoIm Saeng Ko Jeongmin WooJeongmin Woo Sohee JinSohee Jin

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Crew

rolenameDirectorSue Kim

Details

Released on

2024-10-11

Languages

English | Korean

Formats

Colour

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