Celebrity
Malala Yousafzai Debuts Documentary on South Korean Sea Women at Toronto Film Festival
Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai unveiled her first documentary, The Last of the Sea Women, on Apple TV+ at the Toronto Film Festival, spotlighting the inspiring story of elderly South Korean sea divers.
Yousafzai, a producer on the project, said the film perfectly aligns with her activism for women’s empowerment.
The documentary focuses on the haenyeo community, a matriarchal group of women divers on South Korea’s Jeju Island, who have supported themselves for centuries by fishing using only wetsuits, masks, flippers, baskets, and hooks. These resilient women, many now in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s, are known for their ability to hold their breath underwater for up to two minutes as they collect sea creatures like abalone and octopus.
The haenyeo’s way of life, inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016, is now at risk, with only around 4,000 divers remaining from 30,000 in the 1960s.
“I was looking for stories of women… stories of their resilience,” Yousafzai shared in an interview alongside Korean-American director Sue Kim. “When I heard about this project from Sue, I thought, ‘This is exactly what I’m looking for.’”
Yousafzai, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt in 2012 for her activism in girls’ education, praised the haenyeo for their strength and activism. “They have inspired me in so many ways, in their activism and how they are cooperating with nature, how they have built the community,” she said.
The documentary features stunning underwater visuals of the divers at work and candid interviews about their challenging lives. It also highlights their efforts to revive their culture through training programs and social media, while addressing the environmental concerns they face, including the threat of wastewater from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Director Sue Kim, making her feature debut, said the haenyeo left a deep impression on her from childhood. “They’re total badasses… physically agile, strong, and advocating for the environment,” Kim remarked.
Yousafzai, who signed a deal with Apple TV+ in 2021 to produce content focusing on women and girls, emphasized the importance of storytelling in her activism. “I hope to continue to work with these incredible female directors and storytellers to bring more stories to the screen,” she said.
The documentary underscores both the remarkable physical feats and the cultural significance of these sea women, blending themes of resilience, tradition, and environmental stewardship.
