The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru enters race for the Best Documentary Feature for both BAFTAs and Oscars. We had an opportunity to conduct a long interview with its director, Fang Li. For your consideration.
On 1 October 1942, an armed Japanese cargo ship, the Lisbon Maru, was ‘accidentally’ torpedoed by the Americans off the coast of China. The ship was transporting 1,816 British and Canadian prisoners of war captured after the fall of Hong Kong on Christmas Day in 1941.
Chinese filmmaker and geophysicist Fang Li, as a personal passion, located the ship’s wreck in 2016; he then wanted to dig up the hidden stories behind this unspoken war tragedy. After putting huge adverts in major British newspapers, the film crew contacted with over 300 families who lost their loved ones on the Lisbon Maru. This feature documentary is the most in depth version to date, unveiling the moving details from this historical event from the World War II.
Lea: You mentioned that in April 2018, during your team’s first visit to British families, you met Dennis Morley, a 99-year-old survivor, and the experience had a profound emotional impact on you. Initially, you had only planned to produce a television documentary to be completed in six months rather than a feature-length one. When did you realise this story needed to be presented on the big screen?
Fang Li: When I interviewed Dennis Morley, I didn’t consider bringing this story to the big screen. And then I learnt that only two survivors were remaining, an elderly Chinese fisherman, Lin A’gen, and Dennis Morley aged 94 and 98, respectively. I felt an urgency to preserve this piece of history. After finishing the first day of interviews with Dennis in 2018, I promised on the spot that I would present the documentary to him as a birthday gift for his 100th birthday. At that time, I still considered it as a traditional television documentary—a special feature, information, and interviews—that was my initial commitment.
The decisive moment that prompted the desire to make a big-screen film actually came after an interview with Dennis Morley. We interviewed several families. Their loved ones’ graves are always empty. And what particularly touched me was the story of three gentlemen, Ron Brooks, Brian Finch, a retired major in the British Army, and Richard Penny. In those days, we drove a minibus all over the UK every day, and it was heartbreaking and moving to feel the depth of emotion and longing in these families in transit. At that time, I did not think it must be filmed on the big screen. I just felt that the stories of the 1,816 British prisoners of war on the Lisbon Maru were too moving to ignore. Given the many moving stories behind you and the fact that the list of family members was fewer than 20, it was under these circumstances that the crazy idea of advertising began to emerge.
After the advert, the BBC came to support us. When they realised we were not a government or corporate action but as individuals, they invited me to share the story of why a few Chinese people had travelled to the UK to find the descendants of British POWs. Through BBC World News and Radio 4 live broadcasts, we eventually found 380 POW families and also discovered another survivor, veteran William Beningfield, who lived in the Midlands of Canada. Given the depth of this rich material and the intensity of the human stories—characterised by profound emotions, vivid expressions, and evocative settings—the big screen proved to be the best medium for presentation.
It’s not just about conveying information but about sharing human, family, and emotional narratives. Ultimately, I’ve always been producing films, and that remains one of my key motivations.
The second motivation is, because I had watched A Night to Remember from the 60’s, it was not that influential and not known globally at that time. However, Titanic, directed by James Cameron, sparked global attention through its romance story and spectacular production. I realised that Titanic was globally known precisely because it was a big screen film. So it immediately occurred to me that the British allied forces who were killed on the Lisbon Maru, totaling 828 young men, represented more than half of the Titanic’s victims. I felt that this was such a tragedy, and such a reckless, brutal atrocity, that it was all the more important to present it on the big screen with impact and shock. That’s the decision that was eventually made after our interview with William Beningfield on the 10th of September, 2018.
Lea: Your background as a geophysicist is reflected in the documentary, especially in how you present history and geography. You have mentioned that a significant challenge for you in this film, and a ‘pit’ you set for yourself, was venturing into directing, documentaries, and animation for the first time. You undertook these new areas to enhance the narrative and recreate the atmosphere of the period. How does this experience compare to your previous filmmaking work at Laurel Films?
Fang Li: The greatest challenge was restoring history, as there were no precedents or references to follow. Initially, we considered using actors for reenactments and real-life settings, but we found it impossible to narrate the collective experiences through fictional stories—this challenge was too great. We also had tried working with makeup artists for the performance, but the results were too exaggerated and were ultimately not used. Our second approach was to select nine key British military figures and have them recreated as three-dimensional clay sculptures by sculptors from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, then use optical scanning to build digital models. However, the models were static, and although we later tried motion capture, the final results still appeared unnatural with overly dramatic performances, leading to another failure. We then returned to two-dimensional animation, using a ‘3D-to-2D’ approach, but the 12 frames per second cartoon characters did not match the fast-paced visual language of scenes like war and shipwrecks. When depicting oral histories, should we be listening to the stories or watching the performances? As soon as the characters moved, the audience’s attention was diverted. Since the film includes recorded oral accounts, memoirs, and historical documents, text and graphics also needed to be coordinated. Thus, the third approach also failed. In 2020, we spent the entire year experimenting and learning from our mistakes. By the Spring Festival of 2021, we decided to try a fourth approach: keeping the characters static, like in prints, while continuing to use the already created 3D scenes with moving elements such as ships, clouds, and water. By adding brushstroke effects, the scenes appeared more textured, and the integration of characters with the environment felt more natural. Ultimately, the animation and special effects you see now represent our fourth approach, which took us four years to finalise.
Lea: Did any British crew members join the project gradually during the research and production process? Which parts of the film were completed by British contributors?
Fang Li: First, Brian Finch, a retired British Army major who began as our historical advisor and liaison with government groups. As he took on additional responsibilities, including liaising with the POW community, overseeing subtitles, and organising memorial services, I entrusted him as our Co-Producer. His workload was the most substantial, and his contributions were the most impactful.
Next is Dr. Tony Banham, our historical advisor. His book, The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru: Britain’s Forgotten Wartime Tragedy, provided us with a wealth of historical facts, information, and data. Since our story was not adapted from his book and he has not charged any copyright fees, the facts, information, and figures he provided were invaluable. Moreover, he worked entirely as a volunteer in the early stages, which greatly streamlined the process. His contributions were crucial to the project.
Several British institutions also provided invaluable support. The Imperial War Museum offered rare recordings of POWs, including multiple volumes of Jack Hughieson’s interviews. The National Army Museum provided documents related to the prisoners of war and a list of the Middlesex Regiment. The Royal Signals Museum contributed artefacts and arranged interviews. At the same time, The Royal Scots Museum in Edinburgh gave us access to all their exhibits, where we discovered many precious handwritten letters in their archives, including a complete group photograph. Additionally, although a Far East POW memorial museum in the UK did not provide direct materials, they helped us connect with the families of those involved.
Renowned British composer Howie B was deeply moved after hearing this story and volunteered to compose music for us, also helping to find lyricists for the project.
Lea: After the film’s preview screening in London in August 2023, what impressions did you have of the feedback from the family members? Was there any post-screening discussion that left a particularly strong impression on you?
Fang Li: First, it wasn’t an official screening but a test screening. The British Film Institute on London’s Southbank happened to have a slot available on 15 August, and with an discount and the location, it was the best choice for us. The film was yet finalised then, and some animation was still in black and white. However, the more pressing concern was that many of the relatives had been waiting for five years, and I was afraid we wouldn’t make it in time. There were 400 family members of POWs in attendance; the applause was overwhelming, and the heartfelt speeches from the audience, especially the relatives, were incredibly moving. I was joking that my face was almost swollen from all the kisses I received. I was deeply touched and excited. Within a month, I received over 130 messages and emails of gratitude and appreciation.
On that day, Ron Brooks brought eight family members with him. He was one of the last to send me a letter of thanks and tribute, telling me he couldn’t shake off the experience for two weeks as he was immersed in memories of his father and the images we had presented. The audience was united in their gratitude for how we brought their ancestors to life through film, especially the descendants of the POWs, many of whom were learning about their fathers’ experiences for the first time. Another common sentiment was their profound appreciation for the Chinese fishermen. They realised that without the intervention of the Chinese people, the ceasefire by the Japanese would never have happened, and the survivor’s descendants wouldn’t have the lives they live today.
There was also feedback from military personnels who commended the animation for capturing the intensity of the environment without overemphasising the brutality of war. The main question during the post-screening discussion was when it might be released in UK cinemas and when the global premiere could take place.
Lea: Have you considered further developing the story of the Lisbon Maru in the UK, perhaps in other fields besides film and television?
Fang Li: Our work has not yet been completed. After locating over 380 families, we conducted a survey, and 240 families expressed their willingness to be interviewed. We have interviewed around 110, leaving 130 families still to be interviewed. In November 2019, we prepared a plan to keep two cameras in London, appointed the editor of the European Times as the coordinator, and recruited students to complete the remaining interviews, as it was their wish, and we aim to fulfill it.
At that point, we already had more than enough material. We planned to establish a digital memorial for the Lisbon Maru incident and registered the ‘Lisbon Maru Memorial Museum’ in China, intending to create an online virtual museum. We began designing the interface, aesthetics, and architectural style, aiming to organise all the materials we have and future interview content into a comprehensive exhibition. Our idea was to present this digital memorial to the Imperial War Museum, which has a section dedicated to the Lisbon Maru upon completion. They showed interest but indicated that, due to limited funding, they could not provide support.
Lea: During the post-screening discussion, you mentioned that the film encountered some obstacles when submitted to film festivals. Are there plans for you and your team to continue promoting the film internationally?
Fang Li: We will first focus on domestic distribution. As for international promotion, if anyone introduces interested individuals, organisations, or institutions, I will consider it. I won’t actively seek out opportunities, as the film was not intended for commercial purposes. However, I am willing to offer it complimentary to any academic institution or university.
Hundreds of families are waiting, especially the British audience who hope to see it in cinemas. If a distribution company is willing to take it on, I would be pleased to donate the film to all the families of the POWs and channel the proceeds into a fund for them to support annual events or assist them in visiting China to trace their ancestors’ footsteps. Therefore, I also encourage those interested to support the film. Ultimately, this documentary was made for over 2,000 families—1,816 British and 255 fishermen’s families.
Short Review of The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru
Due to the considerable time elapsed since the events represented, this documentary relied heavily on “rescue interviews” to capture the precious images of survivors. Director and Producer Fang Li made several adjustments to the documentary’s format to align the visual material with the accompanying narrative and enhance the cinematic experience.The film includes historical archives, original documents, personal recollections, interviews with relatives, and customised animation combined into a cohesive narrative.
Fang Li appears in the film as a reporter, professional scholar, and guide into this forgotten history chapter. He and his team travelled to the UK to seek out survivors and, applying his geophysicist expertise, updated the sunken ship’s precise coordinates. Ultimately, he brought the families to the remote Dongji Island to hold a memorial ceremony for their fathers at the exact location of the sinking, helping them find closure.
With the production spanning eight years, the documentary highlights the commitment required to bring such a forgotten chapter of history to light. Fang Li’s efforts to preserve this history through storytelling may well ensure that the coordinates—latitude 30°13’44.42″, longitude 122°45’31.14″—are remembered long into the future, as he planned from the outset.
