Posted in: A24, Apple, Documentary, Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: a24, AppleTV, exclusive, Haenyeo, interview, Sue Kim, The Last of the Sea Women

The Last of the Sea Women Dir. Sue Kim on Female Korean Divers Lives

Director Sue Kim spoke to Bleeding Cool about her documentary by AppleTV+ & A24, "The Last of the Sea Women," about female Korean divers.

Sue Kim was always enamored by the Haenyeo ("sea women" in Korean), the South Korean female divers from the province of Jeju. Once a proud tradition in the 20th century, their practice of harvesting various sea life has waned in the 21st century and further complicated matters by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident off of Okuma, Japan, with long-term and far-reaching ecological ramifications. Working with A24 and produced by women's rights activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai for AppleTV+, The Speed Cubers director spoke to Bleeding Cool about her latest documentary, The Last of the Sea Women, chronicling the adventures and exploits of these elderly divers, their lifestyle, friendships, and those determined to help carry their legacy.

The Last of the Sea Women Director Sue Kim on Chronicling the Story of the Haenyeo

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about telling the story of 'The Last of the Sea Women?'

I first saw the Haenyeo when I was eight years old, and they completely struck me. Even as a young girl, they cut such a striking figure of being bold, confident, loud, resilient, vibrant women. They provided this model of Korean womanhood I aspired to. Growing up, I've always been fascinated with them, and when I became a filmmaker, the idea of making this film about them was always at the forefront of my mind. The urge to tell their story took on a new meaning, this new urgency when I discovered about ten years ago that this existing generation of Haenyeo is in their 60s up to 90s. When I learned this generation was the last of the Haenyeo while making this film, it became less of a pipe dream and it became more of an urgent mandate to tell their story in their own words while we still had them around.

How does your prior experience working on the short 'The Speed Cubers' help you with this documentary?

It's interesting 'The Speed Cubers'… I couldn't think of a more different group of people or a community than the Haenyeo, but they both share a certain characteristic about them, which they're inspiring communities to me. They're both loving, decent, and kind universes. Working on this 'Speed Cubers' documentary, I learned how to make a film about people I look up to, and, as someone told me in the movie, I felt like I loved my characters. That's also how I felt about the Haenyeo, and it helped me hone a sort of cinematic language for portraying characters I deeply admire and love.

What was the most intriguing detail you discovered during the filming of 'The Last of the Sea Women?'

Oh, my God! There are so many intriguing details about them. The fact they're elderly women, like the "young ones" they call are in their 60s, but the older ones are in their 80s and 90s. The first time I met them, I was struck by how physically fit they still are. I imagine they're fine and okay to dive in the water, but on land, they seemed more elderly, perhaps slower. We had a 90-year-old, and she took off when we followed her on land. We could not keep up with her, and we were running to keep up. Did I mention she was 90? Seeing that physicality, rigor, and fitness in person was striking. It underscored how healthy they are as a community and how they cultivated that health through their constant physical activity in the ocean.

How do you feel about how A24 and Apple TV nurtured artists like yourself creatively?

I pinch myself every single day I have the opportunity to work with A24 and Apple TV+. They are both known throughout the world as being the best creative homes for filmmakers, which has been my personal experience. A24 was our creative and production partner, and I could not have asked for a more trusting, respectful, and empowering team to work with. There's a reason why every creative in the world wants to work with them, and I would say the same for Apple TV+. Apple TV+ was a true spiritual and creative home for me. The team I worked with was made up of all women, too, which is nice because it reflected the themes in the film. We had amongst ourselves creative collaboration and sisterhood. I felt seen, heard, respected, and championed by them. I never had an experience to that degree before, so making this film with A24 and Apple was the most rewarding creative experience of my career.

What's it been like working with Malala Yousafzai? How do you feel about the state of conservation in Korea and its surrounding countries? What has happened in Fukushima?

Working with Malala was an incredible privilege and honor. Our film wouldn't exist if she hadn't gotten on board. I had tried for a couple of years to get this film off the ground, and while there was a lot of interest, there wasn't anyone I felt passionate enough about the story to partner with me until Malala and her team came on board. Once Malala and her team at Extracurricular came on board, all these doors opened. All these partners wanted to work with us, which can be attributed to the power of Malala and the respect she commands in this world.

I thank my lucky stars every day I meet, work, and partner with her on this. As far as conservation in Korea, one thing I discovered I was so delighted by while filming is general Korean society is hugely into protesting and activism. Protests happen all the time in Korea. They're peaceful, and hundreds of thousands of people come to protest and stand up for the government. When the Japanese government announced the release of the Fukushima-treated radioactive water, the South Korean citizens immediately started protesting.

There are incredible protests where they take over the city. Whole families come, grandparents, parents, and children. All are peacefully protesting, but they learned. There was a series of protests in the 80s that changed their society, and they learned the only way to get their governments to listen to them was by taking to the streets and speaking out. I have hope for the future of conservationism in South Korea. They are still protesting the release of the treated radioactive water from Fukushima, and I have great hopes they will continue to use their voice, be heard by the governments of the world, and maybe be able to influence the [government's] action in stopping the release of the water.

What's next for you?

I have a couple of projects in development now. I hope they come to fruition. One of them, I can't divulge too many details about, but I will say it's an inspiring story about a well-known Olympic athlete. She is a role model for many young girls out there. I find her to be so inspirational as an athlete and public figure. I hope to be able to tell her story for the next couple of years leading up to the next Olympics.

The Last of the Sea Women is available to stream on Apple TV+.

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