Ama-San

In Japan the women who dive are called Ama. The work has gone on for two thousand years. The women dive without tanks. All they take with them is a pair of goggles. The air in their lungs has to last until the abalone comes free. The documentary was filmed in a small fishing village. The village is on the Japanese coast. Three women are followed in the film. They are of different ages and have dived together for many years. The camera goes under the water and also looks at life on land. Food is prepared, hair is pinned up, housework is done. The solidarity among them is at the centre of the story. How much longer the tradition will last is uncertain. The hundred and thirteen minute documentary carries the signature of Cláudia Varejão, a Japanese, Portuguese and Swiss co-production finished in 2016.