The Last of the Sea Women | |
---|---|
Directed by | Sue Kim |
Produced by | Erika Kennair Sue Kim Malala Yousafzai |
Cinematography | Iris Ng Eunsoo Cho Justin Turkowski |
Edited by | Erin Casper Stacy Kim Yeong-a Kim |
Music by | Jang Young Gyu |
Production companies | A24 Extracurricular |
Distributed by | Apple TV+ |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages | English Korean |
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 film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, [3] where it was named the winner of the NETPAC Prize. [4]
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]
Jeju Province, officially Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, is the southernmost province of South Korea, consisting of eight inhabited and 55 uninhabited islands, including Mara Island, Udo Island, the Chuja Archipelago, and the country's largest island, Jeju Island. The province is located in the Korea Strait, with the Korean Peninsula to the northwest, Japan to the east, and China to the west. The province has two cities: the capital Jeju City, on the northern half of the island and Seogwipo, on the southern half of the island. The island is home to the shield volcano Hallasan, the highest point in South Korea. Jeju and Korean are the official languages of the province, and the vast majority of residents are bilingual.
Ama are Japanese divers famous for collecting pearls, though traditionally their main catch is seafood. The vast majority of ama are women.
Im Sang-soo is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He has twice been invited to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, with The Housemaid in 2010 and The Taste of Money in 2012.
Haenyeo are female divers in the South Korean province of Jeju, whose livelihood consists of harvesting a variety of mollusks, seaweed, and other sea life from the ocean. Known for their independent spirit and determination, haenyeo are representative of the semi-matriarchal family structure of Jeju.
Holly Dale is a Canadian filmmaker and television director. Over the course of her career, Dale has worked in the Canadian film and television industry as a director, producer, writer, and editor. Although she has completed solo projects, the majority of Dale's work has been in collaboration with her former classmate, Janis Cole. The Thin Line (1977), P4W: Prison for Women (1981), and Hookers on Davie (1984) are some of their most recognized projects. Dale's work has been featured in festivals around the world including North America, Europe, and Australia. She has also received award nominations and wins, including a Gemini Award in 1982 for the Best Theatrical Documentary for P4W: Prison for Women.
Sisters in Law is a 2005 Cameroonian documentary film by Florence Ayisi and Kim Longinotto, portraying aspects of women's lives and work within the judicial system in western Cameroon. Following four separate cases, the film focuses on state prosecutor Vera Ngassa and judge Beatrice Ntuba as they attempt to bring justice for victims of gender violence.
The Great Merchant is a 2010 South Korean historical drama starring Lee Mi-yeon, Han Jae-suk, Park Sol-mi, Ha Seok-jin, and Go Doo-shim. It aired on KBS1 from March 6 to June 13, 2010 on Saturdays and Sundays at 20:40 for 30 episodes.
Jeju Olle Trail (Korean: 제주올레길) is a long-distance footpath on Jeju Island, in Jeju Province, South Korea. The trail consists of 21 connected numbered main routes, 6 sub-routes, and a short spur that connects to Jeju International Airport. On average, the routes are 16 km in length and total 437 km. They mainly follow Jeju's coastline and around its outlying islands, passing beaches, fishing villages, indigenous forest, tourist destinations, and urban centers. The exact length and locations change over time as trails are modified or re-routed. Jeju Olle Trail was envisioned and developed by former journalist Suh Myung-sook.
Alan Zweig is a Canadian documentary filmmaker known for often using film to explore his own life.
Byun Young-joo is a South Korean film director. Her films explore issues of women's rights and human rights.
Ann Shin is a filmmaker and writer based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jane Jin Kaisen is a visual artist and filmmaker based in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Warm and Cozy is a 2015 South Korean television series starring Kang So-ra and Yoo Yeon-seok. Written by the Hong sisters as a twist on the fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper, it aired on MBC from May 13 to July 2, 2015 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 22:00 for 16 episodes.
O Muel is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He wrote and directed the award-winning film Jiseul in 2012.
The Cinema of Manipur is the film industry based in Manipur, India. It includes not only Meitei language movies but all the films made in different languages of the different communities in Manipur. The Manipuri film industry was born when Matamgi Manipur by Debkumar Bose was released on 9 April 1972. From Aribam Syam Sharma's Paokhum Ama, the first colour Manipuri film (1983), M.A Singh's Langlen Thadoi, the first full-length colour Manipuri film (1984) to Oken Amakcham's Lammei, the first Manipuri digital film (2002), Manipuri cinema, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022, has grown in both its form and culture.
White Chrysanthemum is a novel written by Mary Lynn Bracht. It was published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 2018. The novel is based on comfort women, Korea, Japan, and history. The novel has fictional names, characters, places, and incidents. It is written in dual timelines that are split between the two women: Hana's life during the 1940s and Emi's life in 2011. The novel switches between the two women's perspectives intermittently during the novel. One chapter of the novel is told from the perspective of YoonHui, Emi's daughter. The novel includes a map from 1943, further readings, and a notable dates section.
Our Blues is a 2022 South Korean television series starring Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Cha Seung-won, Lee Jung-eun, Uhm Jung-hwa, Han Ji-min, and Kim Woo-bin. The series revolves around the sweet and bitter lives of people at the end, climax, or beginning of life, and depicts their stories in an omnibus format against the backdrop of Jeju Island. It premiered on tvN on April 9, 2022, and aired every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST) with 20 episodes. It is available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions. It is also one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean cable television history.
The Island of Sea Women is a 2019 historical novel written by American author Lisa See. Set on the Korean island of Jeju, the novel tells the story of a friendship between Mi-ja, the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, and Young-Sook, the heir apparent in a family of haenyeo. Throughout the decades from Japanese rule to the modern era, the two become close but find their relationship strained as a result of their backgrounds.
Smugglers is a 2023 South Korean action crime film directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, who co-wrote the film with Kim Jeong-yeon. The film stars Kim Hye-soo, Yum Jung-ah, Zo In-sung, Park Jeong-min, Kim Jong-soo, and Go Min-si. It was released theatrically on July 26, 2023.