The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru by Fang Li shines a light on the tragic death of thousands of British Prisoners of War, and the Chinese fisherman who saved hundreds.
In October 1942, the Japanese freighter Lisbon Maru was en route to Japan from Hong Kong, which had fallen to Japanese attacks on Christmas Day the previous year. The ship was packed with 1,800 British Prisoners of War being taken to Japan to be used for manual labour. Unbeknownst to the allies, the Lisbon Maru was torpedoed by a U.S. submarine off the coast of China. Over the next dozen hours, the ship slowly sinks as the prisoners of War are left to die. Finally managing to escape, over 300 are rescued from the water and Japanese bullets by Chinese fishermen from the nearby Zhoushan archipelago.
The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru takes you through the story of several of the British prisoners of War as they go through this deadly attack. Director and Producer Fang Li says he began research for the documentary in 2014, after he heard about the story of the Lisbon Maru and believed the story had to be told.
He clearly went through extraordinary lengths to create this documentary. The final documentary includes interviews with family members of the prisoners of war on the Lisbon Maru, the last two surviving Lisbon Maru prisoners of war, the family of the Japanese captain, family of the Chinese fisherman who saved the prisoners of war, the last surviving fisherman, and the family of the captain of the American submarine that sank the Lisbon Maru.
Along the way, he went to China, the UK, Canada, the US, and Japan. Took out adverts in British newspapers, had two original songs recorded, carried out surveys at sea, and employed a Japanese private investigating service.
The final documentary successfully recreates the story of the Lisbon Maru. Utilising interviews, historical research, and beautiful animated segments to bring the tragic tale to life. The inclusion of personal accounts, such as those from the last two surviving POWs, Dennis Morley and William Beningfield, adds a deeply personal dimension to the narrative. While interviews with family members of prisoners of war who did not survive highlight the tragedy of the Lison Maru.
The film is a testament to the tragedy of WW2 and the resilience of the human spirit. Emphasising the selfless bravery of the Zhoushan fishermen despite the danger to them showcases the decency of humanity. There is no doubt The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru is a powerful and moving documentary that sheds light on a tragic yet overlooked story of World War II. The effort of Fang Li to tell the story must be lauded, and through his work, the story of the prisoners of war and the brave Zhoushan fishermen will not be forgotten.
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