A Story of Humanity, Heroism and Forgotten History Opens at Laemmle Monica Center Nov 22-28 to Qualify
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Sinking of The Lisbon Maru, directed by Fang Li, had its North American Premiere at the Asian World Film Festival on November 18, 2024, where it screened to a packed theatre and received an enthusiastic response from the audience. The feature documentary “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” begins its Oscar® qualifying run at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica on Friday, Nov 22 – 28.
While filming on Dongji Island, Director Fang Li heard a story of the sinking of the Japanese freighter the Lisbon Maru. Wondering why this story was unknown he set out to find the ship’s final resting place. This was a second world war story that had been swept under the carpet, the men who perished mostly forgotten. Fang could not shake the thought that the young men who drowned could have been his children. He knew he had to bring their story and memory to life.
“As I learned more about the Lisbon Maru, I realized it was more than a forgotten tragedy—it is a story about courage and how strong we can be even when facing the unimaginable. Bringing this story to life is my way of honoring the young men who died and making sure that their bravery and that of the Chinese fishermen will not be forgotten,” Director Fang Li stated.
SYNOPSIS:
On Oct 2, 1942, the Japanese freighter Lisbon Maru, carrying 1,816 British POWs, was spotted off the coast of China by a U.S. submarine. Normally avoiding civilian freighters, the submarine crew saw armed Japanese troops on deck and fired a torpedo, unaware of the prisoners locked in the ship’s three holds.
As the ship began to sink, Japanese troops covered the holds with planks and canvas, trapping the POWs. Some prisoners managed to break free and jumped overboard, but many drowned or were shot by Japanese soldiers.
Shortly afterwards, a Japanese Navy vessel arrived and evacuated the soldiers, leaving the remaining POWs as the freighter sunk. Braving gunfire, fishermen from Zhoushan Island launched their boats and rescued 384 survivors, while 828 perished. Later, the Japanese military arrived in Zhoushan to retrieve the POWs and transport them to Japanese camps.
ABOUT FANG LI. PRODUCER / DIRECTOR
Fang Li, producer/director of The Sinking of Lisbon Mary, has the right background and tools to bring this story to the screen. Fascinated by what goes on beneath the waves and over them, he has worked in geophysical exploration, marine survey and has been in the underwater intervention equipment for more than 30 years. Since 2010 he has been a designer of autonomous surface vehicles and remotely operated vehicles.
This is his first film as a director. However, as an independent producer and writer in China he has made 15 films since 2000. He holds a BS degree in applied geophysics from East China University of Technology and an MBA from Wake Forest University.
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SOURCE Fang Li
