Toronto Film Festival 2024 Review - The Last Of The Sea Women (2024)

Documentaries, to put it bluntly, are not my cup of tea. I usually find them long and mundane, and after 45 minutes, I typically feel like I’ve grasped the point and am satisfied. There are, however, some exceptions. If We Burn, a masterful documentary that clocks in at 4 hours, had me captivated from the very first second. So, going into The Last of the Sea Women, I wasn’t sure where it would fall on my personal documentary scale. I found it a fascinating and engaging watch that justifies its runtime, using every second to convey its message.

The Last of the Sea Women follows a group of fisherwomen called Haenyeo. These women don’t use advanced equipment like oxygen tanks; instead, they hold their breath for up to two minutes as they dive to the ocean floor to collect seafood. Many of these women are in their 60s, 70s, or even 90s. Due to the aging population of the Haenyeo, their profession is slowly dying out. In addition, they face the threats of water pollution, which could also impact their livelihood and the sea.

With a mix of past and present footage, director Sue Kim does an incredible job of portraying who the Haenyeo are and their cultural significance on the island of Jeju. It is frequently mentioned that they are recognized by UNESCO, yet despite this, they struggle to attract younger generations due to the dangerous and demanding nature of the job. However, not all hope is lost, as two younger Haenyeo are using TikTok and YouTube videos to showcase the importance of their work. The delicacy of the film is truly beautiful. It could have easily been a tale of doom and gloom, but instead, it is one of hope.

The film captures everything in a way that feels authentic to the subject matter. We feel like flies on the wall, observing rather than participating in the story unfolding on screen. We see how important being a Haenyeo is to the people and how vital the sea is, not only to the women but also to nature itself. This carries a strong environmental message, whether through shots of rubbish washing ashore or in the latter half of the film, which focuses on Japan dumping radioactive water from the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean.

The Last of the Sea Women is a solid documentary worth watching. While I did lose focus at times, I’m unsure if that was due to watching it at 9 a.m. or because the subtitles were small and white, blending into the image a bit too often. Despite these challenges, I still enjoyed the film.