4. "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru"

A poster for "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru." [Image courtesy of Laurel Films]

The documentary film "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru," directed by Fang Li, recounts a harrowing tale of survival and tragedy from World War II. It chronicles the story of the Lisbon Maru, a Japanese ship torpedoed by a U.S. submarine in 1942 while transporting British POWs to Japan. As the ship sank, the crew locked the POWs below deck and fired on them, resulting in 828 deaths. Amid the chaos, 255 local Chinese fishermen courageously rescued 384 prisoners under gunfire. 

Inspired by a local boatman's story that Fang heard during a 2013 film shoot, the filmmaker embarked on an eight-year journey to uncover this overlooked historical event. This journey involved locating the sunken ship and conducting interviews with families of the surviving POWs and the Chinese fishermen. In this 123-minute film, Fang not only exposes the cruelty of the incident but also celebrates the bravery of the rescuers. His dedication to preserving this forgotten chapter, despite Japan's ongoing denial, underscores his commitment to honoring those affected by historical terrors by preserving their stories.