The Last of the Sea Women

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Jonathan K @aFIREintheattic Feb 16, 2026 It's beautifully shot, especially the water sequences. The diving scenes are stunning. I went in thinking I was watching a quaint little documentary about these female divers, most of them older, with only a couple younger ones keeping the tradition alive. It seemed like it would simply be about a dying profession, their love of the ocean, and these incredible women still doing this work at advanced ages. Then it takes a turn. It becomes, at least in part, about Japan slowly releasing treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean over the next few decades. The film presents this as a major looming problem. But from what I've read, the danger is highly contested. Many scientists argue the levels are so minute as to be negligible, even compared to naturally occurring background radiation. At best, it's up for debate. At worst, it may be virtually harmless. The optics of "dumping nuclear waste into the ocean" are obviously terrible, and the film... [continued on letterboxd] See more

Richard Y @rayates55 Jan 22, 2026 The content about the women's lives and work was very good. The downgrade in my rating is because of the tangential material about release of radioactive waste water from the Fukushima reactor disaster. The film portrays the women as nobly protesting and testifiying against the release. The problem is that a small amount of research shows that they were cynically being used as iconic, sympathetic pawns and given absolutely false propaganda to frighten and mislead them. The women were afraid the release would poison their fishing grounds and even themselves. The facts are quite different. Their island is 1500 sea miles away, on the far side of Japan and across the entire sea of Japan. The estimated amount of radiation that could reach them is one millionth the level of the background radiation. The release is so slow, over 30 years, with diluted, pretreated waste. 6 miles from the release point, the levels of radioactivity are undetectable - and they are 1500 miles away. See more

CadeandKit R @CadeandKit Dec 10, 2025 This one hit us square in the chest. Quietly powerful. Unexpectedly moving. And yes… Cade cried. Produced by Extracurricular Productions, founded by Malala Yousafzai. It’s giving power to stories that need to be told and this one is unforgettable. The documentary captures exhaustion, dignity, tradition, and quiet strength. These women aren’t doing it for legacy or attention. They’re doing it because it’s who they are. And it’s beautiful. See more

Victoria P @RT63945100 Jan 23, 2025 Loved it, very moving. See more

Ignacio S @RT54876738 Jan 9, 2025 More Politics Than Anything Else A documentary film about a group of female divers, most of them elderly, from South Korea. They dive without any kind of assistance to collect seafood. It has all the basics you’d expect in these cases: interviews with different protagonists, basic information about how long this tradition has existed, how it continues today, etc. You might find it more or less interesting overall; personally, it didn’t catch my attention at all. The main problem arises when they mention that this group has partnered with the United Nations, throw in some low-quality meetings about the Fukushima issue, and, finally, showcase the waste of taxes and the time politicians spend padding their agendas. You’re not missing anything by skipping this documentary. See more

Eric N @EricNix Dec 5, 2024 As with most people who take the time to watch this fascinating documentary, I knew nothing about "haenyeos" beforehand, but I learned a lot in just 90 minutes. Yes, it's challenging to summarize a tradition that began nearly 2,000 years ago in such a short timeframe, but I think the filmmakers did an excellent job. For me, the documentary provided a riveting introduction to a way of life that's on the verge of extinction due to a number of factors. I especially enjoyed meeting the two younger haenyeos who not only share their "aunties'" passion for the profession, but may also be able to convince a younger generation to carry on the tradition. Overall, The Last Of The Sea Women is an emotional, educational and beautifully filmed introduction to a group of amazing women whose story I truly enjoyed hearing. See more

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The Last of the Sea Women

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