The Last of the Sea Women

The Last of the Sea Women is an American documentary film, directed by Sue Kim and released in 2024.[1] The film profiles the haenyeo, a declining community of women in Jeju, South Korea, who dive in the ocean to collect seafood to feed their communities.[2]

The Last of the Sea Women
Directed bySue Kim
Produced byErika Kennair
Sue Kim
Malala Yousafzai
CinematographyIris Ng
Eunsoo Cho
Justin Turkowski
Edited byErin Casper
Stacy Kim
Yeong-a Kim
Music byJang Young Gyu
Production
companies
A24
Extracurricular
Distributed byApple TV+
Release date
  • September 8, 2024 (2024-09-08) (TIFF)
Running time
87 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Korean

The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival,[3] where it was named the winner of the NETPAC Prize.[4]

Critical Reception

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The documentary's depiction of haenyeo's lives has been criticized by writer Lisa Kwon as uni-dimensional: "Any attempt at a reflection on the contemporary daily lives of Jeju Island inhabitants without acknowledgement of its history feels empty and self-serving. Most attempts lapse into negligence: well-wishers arrive at the archipelago to gaze upon the modern haenyeo, ask uncritical questions about their histories, and, at worst, drive unchecked tourism."[5]

References

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  1. ^ Marya E. Gates, "The Last of the Sea Women". RogerEbert.com, September 9, 2024.
  2. ^ Danita Steinberg, "The Last of the Sea Women Review: Swimming into the Spotlight". Point of View, September 14, 2024.
  3. ^ Etan Vlessing, "Eddie Huang, Raoul Peck, Steve Pink Films Join Docs Lineup at Toronto Film Fest". The Hollywood Reporter, August 7, 2024.
  4. ^ Steve Pond, "‘The Life of Chuck’ Wins Toronto Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award". TheWrap, September 15, 2024.
  5. ^ "Sue Kim's New Documentary Catches a Diluted Glimpse of Haenyeo's Reality". IMPULSE Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-17.
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