Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Brave community of South Korean women face risks, persevere.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Last of the Sea Women
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
On Jeju Island off the South Korean coast, a group of older women, THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN, carry on a dying tradition of deep-sea harvesting for seafood. Known as haenyeos, they do work that is risky and getting harder due to environmental hazards causing declining levels of seafood and dangerous chemicals in the water. Those negative trends look to accelerate faster if Japan follows through on its plans to leak radioactive water into the ocean. The haenyeos protest. On another island, two younger haenyeos are reviving the tradition by filming themselves and promoting their work on social media.
Is It Any Good?
What a privilege to have films that let us peek into the meaningful lives and traditions of people around the world. Filmmaker Sue Kim and her producers and distributors deserve appreciation for backing, creating, and disseminating The Last of the Sea Women. It could be a hard sell for some audiences—the film moves slowly in crafting a meticulous portrait of its mostly older female subjects. It gets a little bogged down pace-wise in the second half while covering meetings and protests about the Fukushima nuclear plant wastewater. But it's impossible to deny the importance of their protests, and it's equally impossible to deny the natural beauty captured underwater here, or the meaningfulness of the heanyeos' lives and work and the lessons to be learned from them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the work of the haenyeos portrayed in The Last of the Sea Women. What do you think of their profession? Why do fewer people do it today? What do you think it would be like doing their job?
How do the women demonstrate courage, perseverance, and teamwork in both their personal lives, as a group, and at sea? Where could you look for more details about the haenyeos?
Where can you find more information about the Fukushima accident and the disposal of wastewater protested in this movie?
What factors do you think contribute to the haenyeos' health and longevity?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 11, 2024
- Director : Sue Kim
- Studio : Apple TV / Apple Original Films
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism , Friendship , History , STEM
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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