Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru

Play trailer Poster for The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru Released Nov 22, 2024 2h 2m Documentary History Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 4 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
The film reveals the long-buried truth of the 1942 sinking of the "Lisbon Maru," where Japanese forces killed 828 Allied prisoners. Over seven years, filmmaker Fang Li's search for the wreckage and interviews with families uncovered the heartbreaking stories of Allied prisoners, Japanese brutality, and heroic Chinese fishermen. The documentary combines on-site interviews and historical scene animations to present the tragic fate of Allied prisoners, shedding light on a forgotten chapter in history.

Critics Reviews

View All (4) Critics Reviews
Phil Hoad Guardian The film’s only real flaw is an occasional sentimentality; it could have done without the syrupy torch song over the roll call of the fallen. Otherwise it’s potent stuff Rated: 4/5 Mar 20, 2025 Full Review Jennie Kermode Eye for Film An extraordinarily thorough film. Rated: 4.5/5 Mar 21, 2025 Full Review Alan Ng Film Threat Its stories and interviews are engaging and do nothing but lift up the memories of the Greatest Generation. Rated: 9/10 Dec 16, 2024 Full Review John Berra Screen International Unfortunately, frustrating structural issues and an overlong running time hinder a sincere effort to familiarise a wide audience with the dramatic events and multi-generational trauma of a harrowing wartime incident. Dec 3, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1) audience reviews
Auston L Writer and Director Fang Li should be Knighted by the UK for organizing, directing and producing this heart wrenching true story of courage, and the cowardly murdering of unarmed allied prisoners by the Japanese soldiers. Fang Li does meticulous research to locate and to interview survivors of this tragic event from WW2. His sacrifice in time and funding to bring the victims' families to the site where the soldiers died was indeed touching, yet heroic. Fang Li has demonstrated a humanitarian approach to film making, which is sorely needed today to replace the current Hollywood senseless tangle of sexual explicitness, vulgarity, profanity, obscenity and obvious greed with decent films that exhibit a refreshing perspective to the dignity of life. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/09/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All Cast and Crew

Fang Li

Director

Ming Fan

Director

Lily Gong

Director

Fang Li

Producer

Florian Zinke

Cinematographer

Lily Gong

Film Editor
View All The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru photos

The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru

View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The film reveals the long-buried truth of the 1942 sinking of the "Lisbon Maru," where Japanese forces killed 828 Allied prisoners. Over seven years, filmmaker Fang Li's search for the wreckage and interviews with families uncovered the heartbreaking stories of Allied prisoners, Japanese brutality, and heroic Chinese fishermen. The documentary combines on-site interviews and historical scene animations to present the tragic fate of Allied prisoners, shedding light on a forgotten chapter in history.
Director
Fang Li, Ming Fan, Lily Gong
Producer
Fang Li
Distributor
Laurel Films
Production Co
Laurel Films
Genre
Documentary, History
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 22, 2024, Limited
Runtime
2h 2m