Going back to the starting point of history, the movie "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" premiered on Dongji Island to pay tribute to Zhoushan fishermen
2024-08-25
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82 years ago, the Japanese-armed cargo ship "Lisbon Maru" carrying 1,816 Allied prisoners of war was sunk by a U.S. submarine while passing through the waters of Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China. At the critical moment, 255 kind-hearted Chinese Zhoushan fishermen stepped forward, rowed small sampans into the sea again and again, braving the Japanese army's hail of bullets, and finally rescued 384 Allied prisoners of war.
82 years later, the documentary film "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru", which is entirely based on that real historical event, held its open-air premiere on Dongji Island in Zhoushan, China, and invited local fishermen to watch the film. Producer and director Fang Li said that this is where history happened and the starting point of the film. "The film is not only to tell this history to the world, but also to let more people know the heroic efforts of our Dongji fishermen and be proud of their kindness and bravery."
Immersive movie viewing at the Dongji Island beach
The kind and brave Zhoushan fishermen's heroic act moved people
On the evening of August 23, the documentary film "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru", produced and directed by Fang Li, premiered at Dongji Island, Zhoushan, the site of the sinking of the "Lisbon Maru". That night, local fishermen gathered at the beach. As night fell, the film began to be shown. In the cool sea breeze, everyone followed Fang Li's narration to trace the historical truth 82 years ago and felt the humanity of the fishermen who saved the lives of Allied prisoners of war in the hail of bullets.
Most Zhoushan fishermen today have heard of the story of how Zhoushan fishermen rescued Allied prisoners of war who died on the Lisbon Maru 82 years ago, but many still don't know much about what happened on that ship. During the movie viewing that night, some people learned the full picture and cruelty of this history for the first time. When they saw Zhoushan fishermen recounting how they rowed sampans into the sea to save people, many were moved to tears.
Fisherman representative Liang Yindi said: "The movie made us feel the cruelty of war and the harm it caused to people, but the righteous deeds of our ancestors are spiritual treasures that we should be proud of and pass on. We must always remember history and embrace peace."
Fang Li revealed that the heroic deeds of Zhoushan fishermen were rarely known to the world. In addition to the fact that that period of history has been buried, it is also related to the good qualities and brilliance of Zhoushan fishermen. "When I interviewed the descendants of the fishermen who participated in the rescue, they said that whenever their fathers mentioned the rescue, they said that we just did what we should do. When the descendants of the Allied prisoners of war talked about that period of history, everyone expressed gratitude and respect to the Zhoushan fishermen. These chivalrous, brave, low-key and simple Zhoushan fishermen should be remembered, and their good qualities will surely be inherited and passed on."
The most thrilling page of history was turned:
Dongji Island residents nearly drowned while rescuing Allied prisoners of war
82 years ago, the heroic act of Zhoushan fishermen in collectively rescuing the Allied prisoners of war who died on the "Lisbon Maru" may have seemed to the simple Zhoushan fishermen to be just an act of human instinct. And after rescuing these prisoners of war to the shore, they took out the limited food and clothes in their homes to feed the prisoners of war and keep them warm, which was also the most normal behavior. However, it was these acts of bravery that brought hope of life to the prisoners of war who were experiencing a hellish life on the "Lisbon Maru".
The film reveals a thrilling chapter in the history of that year: On the second day after the Allied prisoners of war were rescued to the island, the Japanese invaders came to the island in full gear to search for people. This time, the Allied prisoners of war decided to leave on their own initiative because "if they didn't leave, they would kill the fishermen on the island." Before leaving, the prisoners not only returned the fishermen's clothes, but also left behind precious keepsakes, which have been protected by Zhoushan fishermen to this day and have become a witness to the friendship between the two countries.
Producer and director Fang Li shared at the premiere that when he interviewed the descendants of fishermen on Dongji Island, he learned the story of these tokens. He then used this as a clue to travel to countries such as Britain and France again, hoping to find the whereabouts of the owner of the tokens and fill in the gaps in this history. "I also hope that when the movie is released, if anyone knows the origin of these tokens and related stories, please feel free to contact me, and we will make that period of history more complete together."
Two films in ten years changed Dongji Island:
Fang Li was awarded the title of "Honorary Islander"
Ten years ago, the movie "See You Tomorrow" produced by Fang Li made Dongji Island a well-known internet celebrity island. Ten years later, the movie "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" once again made this island the focus of everyone's attention. It turns out that this seemingly literary and free island was inhabited by a group of brave and fearless heroes 82 years ago, and it carries an extraordinary historical weight.
Since Fang Li learned about the story of the "Lisbon Maru Sinking" on Dongji Island in 2014, he has been traveling back and forth here for the past ten years. Not only has he entered the sea many times to search for shipwrecks, he has also maintained close contact with the descendants of fishermen, trying to dig out more hidden details behind history. He feels very cordial every time they meet.
After the screening, local fishermen were still immersed in recalling that period of history and remembering their ancestors. Fishermen representatives Wu Buwei and Liang Yindi also came to share their memories of that period of history with everyone.
Wu Buwei said that the story of the sinking of the Lisbon Maru took place during World War II, when China was also in the midst of the Anti-Japanese War. "In such a tense and dangerous situation, our ancestors dared to risk their lives to rescue Allied prisoners of war. This is very respectable. Their heroic behavior has left us a precious historical heritage. Director Fang recorded all of this in this film. I am very moved and grateful."
Liang Yindi also brought a local intangible cultural heritage painting "Fishermen's Painting" created with fisherman Wu Xiaofei to Fang Li, and said that the theme of this painting is "Love Without Borders": "We spent a week to create this painting, which depicts the scene of our fishermen selflessly rescuing Allied prisoners of war. We use this way to record history, and hope that more people can see this movie."
That night, Liu Tao, secretary of the Dongji Town Party Committee, awarded director Fang Li the title of "Honorary Islander" on behalf of Dongji Island to thank Fang Li for all he has done for Dongji Island: "Ten years ago, Dongji Island was just an ordinary fishing village. The movie "See You Tomorrow" has brought about earth-shaking changes to this island. Ten years later, Fang Li returned to Dongji Island with "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" and protected the island's historical heritage for us. Thank you for your dedication and persistence. Dongji Island will always welcome you." It is reported that the film will be released nationwide on September 6.
Yangtze Evening News/Ziniu News reporter Kong Xiaoping
Proofread by Sheng Yuanyuan
