The Last of the Sea Women is a beautifully intimate portrayal of haenyeos, all-female South Korean deep-sea divers. It is also the first feature production from Malala Yousafzai’s Extracurricular Productions. Using only their own breath, the haenyeos dive to the ocean floor for hours at a time in the waters off the peninsula, especially around Jeju Island, to harvest seafood. They make a living at this, but they are also carrying on an ancient tradition.
And, according to this affecting documentary from Korean American filmmaker Sue Kim, they are a dying breed. Despite recognition from UNESCO and a school set up to train younger generations, there are only 4,000 haenyeos remaining today, mostly in their 60s to 80s, down from 30,000 in their 1960s heyday.
Calling themselves the “warriors of the sea” as well as the “guardians of the sea,” the haenyeos do a dangerous and difficult job few can do. Women die and their bodies are found underwater. A haenyeo historian describes the pressure on the head the women experience the deeper they dive.
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