Following its North American premiere at the Asian World Film Festival, Fang Li’s feature documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru opened for an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in U.S. theaters. The film chronicles the search for the wreckage of the Lisbon Maru, a Japanese freighter carrying British POWs that was unknowingly torpedoed by a U.S. submarine in 1942.

China has selected the World War II documentary to represent the country at the 97th Academy Awards in the best international feature film category.

Directed by Fang Li, The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru opened at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica on Friday, November 22, 2024.

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

“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.

Watch the official trailer for The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru.