Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, introduced her debut documentary with Apple TV+ at the Toronto Film Festival on Monday. The film, The Last of the Sea Women, explores the lives of elderly South Korean divers from the haenyeo community on Jeju Island. This traditional group, recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016, faces extinction as many of its members are now elderly.
In an interview with Korean-American director Sue Kim, Yousafzai revealed that the documentary’s focus on the resilience of these women aligns closely with her own advocacy work. “I was searching for stories of women’s resilience, and this project was exactly what I wanted,” she said. Yousafzai, who is a producer on the film, finds the haenyeo’s story inspiring, reflecting their physical and mental strength.
The documentary captures the divers’ strenuous work, including their ability to hold their breath underwater for up to two minutes, and their efforts to revitalize their culture through modern methods like social media. It also addresses environmental concerns, such as the impact of wastewater from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant. Kim, who is making her feature directorial debut, praised the haenyeo as “total badasses” for their physical agility and commitment to environmental advocacy.
Having survived a 2012 assassination attempt by the Taliban and received the Nobel Peace Prize at 17, Yousafzai signed a deal with Apple TV+ in 2021 to focus on women and girls’ stories. She expressed a desire to keep working with female directors to bring more significant stories to the screen.
