Malala Yousafzai, Apple Original Films’ new documentary premieres at Toronto International Film Festival

The world premiere of documentary film The Last of the Sea Women by Apple Original Films and Malala Yousafzai’s production company Extracurricular was held at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The film will debut globally on Apple TV+ on October 11.

Attendees at the premiere included the film’s director Sue Kim, film subjects Lee Hee Soon and Jang Soon Duk, editor Erin Casper, cinematographer Iris Ng and Yousafzai, who has produced the film.

“It was an unbelievable day to experience the premiere of The Last of the Sea Women at TIFF — the first-ever film from my production company Extracurricular,” said Yousafzai in a press statement. “I loved celebrating this achievement with director Sue Kim and the amazing, mostly female team behind the film. The Last of the Seawomen is just the start of things to come.

“I created my production company to give women and underrepresented communities a platform to tell their stories. I know the power that storytelling has because it is how I began my activism at 11 years old, sharing about life under the Taliban. Once your voice is out in the world for all to hear, there is no end to what you can accomplish with it. “

The Last of the Sea Women follows the haenyeo, an extraordinary band of female free divers who live on Jeju Island in South Korea and are fighting to preserve their way of life. Often called real-life mermaids, the haenyeo divers are renowned for centuries of diving to the ocean floor — without oxygen — to harvest seafood for their livelihood. Haenyeo have existed for centuries, however, with the increasing threats of climate change and toxic wastewater, their traditional culture may become extinct.

The documentary offers a captivating glimpse into the lives of these remarkable women, celebrating their courage, resilience, and unwavering spirit, as well as their fight for ocean conservation, and the importance of preserving their cultural heritage.

An Apple Original Film hailing from A24 and Extracurricular, The Last of the Sea Women“ has also been produced by Erika Kennair, and executive produced by Nicole Stott, Emily Osborne, Harry Go and Marissa Torres Ericson.

The Last of the Sea Women is Yousafzai’s first feature-length documentary as part of her partnership with Apple TV+. However, this isn’t the first project she has produced since launching her production company in 2022 — documentary short Stranger at the Gate, which she produced, was nominated for an Academy Award in 2023. The documentary addressed Islamophobia in the West and explored extremism, empathy, and the potential for human connection even in the most unlikely of circumstances. It is available to watch on YouTube.