Directed by the acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Guan Hu, the epic historical action drama "Dongji Rescue" is set to make waves in European cinemas. This cinematic masterpiece, inspired by the harrowing true tale of the Lisbon Maru's sinking – one of the Pacific Theater's deadliest maritime disasters – unfolds during World War II. The British specialty distributor Trinity CineAsia has secured all regional rights to the film and plans to release it in the U.K. and Ireland on August 22, with subsequent rollouts across other European markets starting August 29.
"Dongji Rescue" vividly recounts the 1942 torpedoing of the Lisbon Maru, a Japanese ship secretly transporting 1,800 British POWs. When the vessel was mistakenly struck by an American submarine near China's Dongji Island, over 800 survivors owed their lives to the extraordinary bravery of Chinese fishermen.
Produced with a budget of $80 million and co-directed by Guan and actor-turned-director Fei Zhenxiang, "Dongji Rescue" stands as one of China's most ambitious technical undertakings to date. Shot in Imax, with over 40% of its runtime submerged in underwater sequences, the film employed cutting-edge robotics, massive water tanks, and full-scale ship replicas. Additionally, it authentically recreated the WWII-era fishing village architecture on Dongji Island.
Previously, Trinity CineAsia distributed Guan's acclaimed drama "Black Dog," which garnered the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes in 2024, as well as his blockbuster war epic "The Eight Hundred," the second-highest-grossing film in China in 2020.
Starring Zhu Yilong ("Lost in the Stars"), Wu Lei ("Nirvana in Fire"), Ni Ni ("The Flowers of War"), and British newcomer William Franklyn-Miller, who portrays a British army medic hidden by the villagers in the aftermath of the disaster, "Dongji Rescue" also features Michael Gaston, Ni Dahong, and Li Jiuxiao.
To mark the 80th anniversary of V-J Day, Trinity CineAsia will hold the UK premiere of "Dongji Rescue" on August 15 at London's Odeon Leicester Square, with the directors, producers, and lead cast in attendance.
"Dongji Rescue" is rooted in a true story that holds special significance for the U.K., given its focus on British POWs in a desperate shipwreck," said Cedric Behrel, executive director of Trinity CineAsia. "However, its resonance transcends borders, offering a humanistic and intimate narrative against a grand historic backdrop, akin to 'Dunkirk' or 'Atonement.' We eagerly anticipate that audiences will be both awed and moved to tears by this film."
Produced by 7th Art Pictures and supported by Enlight Pictures, Tao Piao Piao, and China Film Group, "Dongji Rescue" opens in China on August 8.
Added Liang Jing, producer and head of 7th Art Pictures: "We are thrilled to collaborate once again with Trinity CineAsia, who distributed 'Black Dog' and 'The Eight Hundred' for us, to bring this poignant tale, buried beneath the dust of modern history, to a global audience – particularly to the British audience. It's crucial that the descendants of the British soldiers who survived this catastrophe know: we are still here, and we still cherish this story."
The official synopsis of "Dongji Rescue" reads: "It's October 1942, and most of China languishes under the oppressive shadow of imperial Japan. Following the fall of British Hong Kong in December 1941, numerous British service personnel were captured and imprisoned. Unbeknownst to an American submarine, the Lisbon Maru – a Japanese merchant ship surreptitiously carrying around 1,800 British POWs in the Far East – was torpedoed off China's Dongji Island. Guided by the islanders' code of conduct – 'those in peril at sea must be saved' – two young fishermen, brothers Abi (Zhu Yilong) and Adang (Wu Lei), risk everything to conceal a British army medic (William Franklyn-Miller) in their village after finding him adrift at sea. A relentless Japanese manhunt ensues to capture the missing soldier. As the ship begins to plunge beneath the waves, and the truth about the stranded POWs comes to light, the villagers embark on a perilous quest to rescue the British soldiers and reclaim their land."
