Dongji Rescue European premiere was held on August 15th, with director and actors in London to promote the film telling the rescue of British WW2 POWs by the brave residents of Dongji Island.
The film’s premiere was held on August 15th, the 80th anniversary of V-J Day.
It was held at London’s Odeon Leicester Square, followed by a special preview screening and Q+A with director and actors at the BFI IMAX in Waterloo.
Dongji Island had an $80 million budget, which was used to create a technically ambitious movie. A total of 6 years went into research, preparation, and filming of the movie. It was shot in IMAX with significant amounts filmed underwater.
It gives a heavily fictionalised account of the rescue of 100s of British POWs from the Japanese transport ship Lisbon Maru, which was unknowingly sunk by an American submarine off the coast of China in 1942.
The topic was also featured in the documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru in 2024.
The film was co-directed by Guan Hu and actor-turned-filmmaker Fei Zhenxiang. It stars Zhu Yilong, Wu Lei, Ni Ni, and William Franklyn-Miller. The film also features Michael Gaston, Ni Dahong, and Li Jiuxiao.
Dongji Rescue is distributed in Europe by Trinity CineAsia. Its full UK and Ireland release will start on August 22nd, followed by other European markets from August 29th.
Cedric Behrel, executive director of Trinity CineAsia, said:
“Dongji Rescue is based on a true story which has particular relevance in the U.K., of course, as it involves British POWs in a desperate shipwreck, but also a specific resonance that can connect with everyone everywhere – a humanistic, intimate story on a large historic canvas, a la Dunkirk or Atonement, and we’re looking forward to audiences being wowed and moved to tears at the same time.”
After watching the premier, Dannis Winnie, a family member of a Lisbon Maru survivor said it was still sad to watch Dongji Rescue even after watching “The Singking of the Lisbon Maru several times. However, the film is “very good”, and the actors are also great. She added, it is good for the story of the Lisbon Maru to be told another way, so that more people can hear it.
Speaking after the preview screening at BFI Imax Waterloo, audience member Matt said the film was “an amazing story, I don’t think any of us had heard about it before. Seeing it on such a large screen was crazy”.
He added, “seeing the British-Chinese relationship in a way we’ve never seen before was really moving.”
If you like this article why not read: The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru Review: A Forgotten WW2 Tragedy
