Umi No Oya - Maya Minder and Ewen Chardronnet

As an ambassador for Vitality.Swiss, Maya Minder has been collaborating with the Embassy of Switzerland in Japan on the MICUL×MICUL project since 2023. This initiative invites the public to submit recipes that utilize algae and seaweed, shedding light on the future possibilities these ingredients hold. The research conducted by Minder and writer-curator Ewen Chardronnet in Japan has culminated in the documentary essay “Umi No Oya - 海の親” (Umi No Oya - Sea Parents), which was previewed on October 11, 2024.

The documentary highlights the legacy of British phycologist Katherine Drew Baker, who made significant scientific discoveries regarding the life cycle of red algae in 1949 and contributed to the development of nori cultivation in post-war Japan. Drew Baker’s influence on post-war Kyushu is celebrated as the ‘Sea Parent’, while the film also seeks inspiration for resilience in the face of new challenges posed by climate change. The screening, held at SHIBAURA HOUSE—the venue for the 2023 MICUL×MICUL workshop and a prominent feature in the documentary—drew an enthusiastic audience from the realms of art, food, and science, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

In their opening remarks, Roger Dubach, Ambassador-Designate of Switzerland to Japan, and Mr. Masaru Ito, President of SHIBAURA HOUSE, expressed their heartfelt appreciation for the fruitful collaboration on the project that began in 2023. They celebrated the significant achievements of this initiative, conveying their joy and enthusiasm for the partnership and their optimistic expectations for its future developments.

Following the 60-minute screening, attendees posed thoughtful questions about the creators’ focus on Japan’s nori culture, the encounters of the director and artist with the sea and seaweed, and the decline in nori production due to climate change. Guests enjoyed freshly roasted nori provided by Yamamoto Nori Co., Ltd., engaging in lively discussions about the culinary ingredient long after the film concluded. Notably, Takahiro Yamamoto, the president of Yamamoto Nori Co., Ltd., provided insights into Japan’s nori industry and its history within the documentary.

The journey of Maya Minder and Ewen Chardronnet is far from over, as they plan to return to Japan in December for further activities. Stay tuned for their ongoing projects!

Umi No Oya - 海の親

Ewen Chardronnet & Maya Minder, 2024, 63’

In southern Japan, at the base of the Uto peninsula, inside Sumiyoshi park, near the shrine, there is a monument. The face of the monument is the profile of a bespectacled middle-aged woman wearing a button-down shirt, her gaze tilted slightly upward and into the distance, as if watching over the sea. Below the portrait is inscribed IN MEMORY OF MADAME KATHLEEN MARY DREW, D. Sc. – a British phycologist who died in 1957 at the age of 56, having never set foot in Japan.

Meticulously studying European species of red algae, such as Laver, since the 1930s, Dr. Kathleen Drew-Baker discovered in 1949 that nori spores nested in oysters shells. She published a scientific paper in Nature and shared her discovery with Japanese marine botanists Sokichi Segawa and Fusao Ota in Kumamoto, who disseminated the technique among local nori farmers of the Ariake sea in Kyushu. Within a few years, Ariake Sea nori production significantly rebounded, heralding an industry that would reach its peak in the following decades.

Since 1963, a monument in Sumiyoshi park has commemorated Dr. Kathleen Drew-Baker, who first discovered this missing piece of the nori life cycle. In the region, where nori spores are carefully seeded in oyster shells each summer, she is recognized as the birth mother – umi no oya – of nori aquaculture. Every year on April 14, her contribution is celebrated with a dedicated festival, while a Shinto ceremony honors the British phycologist as a deity. It’s no wonder some interpret her legendary status as umi no oya (海の親) – Mother of the [Ariake] Sea.

With support of Antre Peaux, ART2M, DDA Contemporary Art, ProHelvetia, Vitality Swiss, Embassy of Switzerland in Japan, Swissnex in Japan, Biolab Tokyo, metaPhorest / Waseda University Tokyo, Jeu de Paume museum and the More-Than-Planet program funded by the Creative Europe program European Union.

Swiss Cinema Days - Umi No Oya
Documentary Preview Screening
Date: October 11, 2024 19:00-21:00 (Doors open at 18:30)
Venue: SHIBAURA HOUSE (3-15-4 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Sponsors of Swiss Cinema Days: