Umi No Oya
ウミノヲヤ

A film by Ewen Chardronnet and Maya Minder

What connects a weakened ecosystem to a global food culture? Umi No Oya – Mother of the Sea tells the story of a discovery that revolutionized Japanese nori aquaculture and led to global sushi culture. With sensitive landscape images and a keen sense of Japanese cultural history, the film sheds light on international scientific interdependencies and the resilience of people in a world shaped by climate change and upheaval. It combines artistic and personal biographies to reflect on the balance between progress and sustainable action. How can science, art and culture meet the challenges of the future?

Swiss artist and chef Maya Minder and author and curator Ewen Chardronnet investigate in their work the potential of algae in the ecological transition. In this film diary, they explore the legacy of British algologist Kathleen Drew-Baker, whose crucial scientific discovery in 1949 about the life cycles of red algae contributed to the rise of nori aquaculture in post-war Japan. The film pays tribute to Drew as Umi No Oya (ウミノヲヤ) – the mother of the sea – and looks for inspiration in the resilience she instilled in post-war Kyushu to face the new challenges of climate change.

Documentary – 60′
Directed by Ewen Chardronnet
Voice: Maya Minder
Written by: Ewen Chardronnet, Cherise Fong, Maya Minder
Image: Quentin Aurat, Lisa Biedlingmaier, Ewen Chardronnet, Maya Minder, Ryu Oyama
Production: Art2M – Anne-Cécile Worms
In memory of Kathleen Drew-Baker,Sokichi Segawa and Fusao Ota