As a seasoned gamer with a keen interest in history and documentaries, I found Fang Li’s journey to be nothing short of captivating. The tale of The Sinking of The Lisbon Maru was not just another historical event unraveled on-screen; it was a personal quest for closure that resonated deeply with me.
As a devoted admirer, I was left utterly astonished when a fisherman unveiled the captivating tale that eventually shaped Fang Li’s groundbreaking documentary, “The Sinking of The Lisbon Maru.
In 2014, Fang was working as a producer on location for the film “The Continent,” directed by Han Han and classified as a road-trip comedy-drama. As we traveled from the eastern coast of Zhejiang province towards Dongji Island, a fisherman shared a story that had been largely unspoken for over 70 years.
On October 1, 1942, it was reported that a Japanese cargo ship carrying 1,816 British prisoners of war secretly stored in its lower decks was traveling from Hong Kong to Japan. Unfortunately, this vessel was struck by the USS Grouper with a torpedo.
Following the bombing attack, with the ship gradually succumbing to the sea, Japanese soldiers confined the prisoners of war within the cargo holds. However, these POWs refused to give up and managed to escape, leaping into the waters. Yet, they were met with gunfire from the Japanese forces. Fortunately, before it was too late, local Chinese fishermen intervened and rescued those who were struggling in the water. Eventually, 384 men made it through alive, while 828 others lost their lives, either trapped within the hold or drowning in the sea.
Fang exclaimed, ‘It’s astonishing I’d meet someone as knowledgeable in history as myself who was unaware of this entirely!’ I even consulted locals and investigated the matter personally. Believe it or not, it indeed transpired.
In Fang’s mind, there was a movie eagerly waiting to be created. After six years of hard work, he finally brought The Sinking of The Lisbon Maru to life. First, he needed to locate the sunken ship, which had been resting on the ocean floor since 1942. Then, he searched for individuals who witnessed the event and perhaps even survivors.
According to Fang, when the event occurred, Western nations were primarily focused on the conflict in the Western region and gave minimal consideration to the state of affairs in the Far East.
Furthermore, given the vast scale of the ongoing conflict, this incident wasn’t particularly notable,” he notes. “As a result, it hadn’t received much attention. However, after speaking with the families of the initial witnesses, I was deeply affected by their stories. They were filled with emotions – both joy and sorrow – that seemed too poignant to be fictional.
At this year’s American Film Market in Las Vegas, one of two films spotlighted at the China Film Pavilion is “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru.” The China Film Co-production Corporation (CFCC), joint organizers, aim to highlight a burgeoning variety in Chinese film industry output by showcasing it as a growing diversity.
In the dance-driven drama “A Tapestry of a Legendary Land,” being screened at the pavilion, you’ll witness a rich tapestry of diversity. Initially, it may seem unrelated to “Lisbon Maru,” but upon closer inspection, both films delve into lesser-known aspects of Chinese history from a cinematic perspective.
Under the joint direction of Zhou Liya and Han Zhen, and based on their acclaimed stage production, Tapestry tells a fictional tale about a contemporary artifact investigator who journeys back through time to encounter Xi Meng, the artist believed to have created the legendary Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains. This masterpiece was produced during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). The movie portrays the creation process of this enigmatic artwork through dance rather than dialogue, as the painting is seldom exhibited publicly due to its delicate nature and because little is known about Xi, who vanished from historical records at approximately 18 years old, having completed the project before his disappearance.
In addition to “Lisbon Maru” and “Tapestry”, the China Film Pavilion will showcase a multitude of other titles in Las Vegas. The pavilion will be highlighting over 50 Chinese film companies and more than 200 movies, spanning various genres that reflect history and culture. Among them are adaptations from renowned novels such as “Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants” and “Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms”, as well as contemporary narratives like “Gold or Shit”, “Herstory”, and “Moments We Shared”. Animation titles like “White Snake: Afloat”, the newest addition to the popular “Boonie Bears” series, “Boonie Bears: Time Twist”, and “I Am What I Am” will also be featured.
As a movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that our aim isn’t just about boosting global distribution of homegrown flicks, but also fostering collaboration and pooling resources across various film markets. The China Film Pavilion aims to keep broadening platforms for Chinese directors to interact with the international community, and we’re dedicated to sharing more Chinese movies with cinema-loving audiences around the globe in the future.
The China Film Pavilion is not just a place to enjoy movies, but it also aims to keep visitors informed about current events happening in the country. One of the domestic hits showcased was the Korean war drama “The Volunteers: To the War II“, which debuted on China’s National Day (October 1) and earned a staggering $161 million by the end of the month. Additionally, the re-release of the Harry Potter series was launched, with each week bringing a new installment from October 11. By the end of the month, the first two releases had accumulated approximately $14 million.
As a passionate admirer, I’m sharing that after garnering immense acclaim from both critics and fans in Shanghai, “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” was submitted as China’s contender for the Oscars in the best international film category. Regrettably, it was recently announced that the film fell short of meeting the Academy’s criteria, specifically, the rule that a movie should have a predominantly non-English dialogue track (more than 50%).
While in the interim, Li is engaged in talks for global distribution and revisiting the narrative he has delved into for the last ten years in a movie he anticipates will offer some resolution to the affected families.
According to Fang, it was discovered that for many decades, families in the United Kingdom were unaware of how and where their male relatives had perished. All they had were photos, letters, or trinkets to keep their memory alive. Interestingly, even the fishermen who had rescued these POWs didn’t see their ancestors’ actions as worthy of praise. They simply knew that they would always save those in distress at sea. Fang hopes this film conveys this humble kindness.
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2024-11-05 19:25