Guan Hu and Fei Zhenxiang, who co-directed a Chinese film based on the 1942 sinking of the Japanese ship Lisbon Maru, have revealed the extraordinary efforts behind bringing one of China's most daring wartime rescue stories, "Dongji Rescue," to the big screen.
The filmmakers faced unprecedented technical challenges while striving to preserve a little-known chapter of history that showcases Chinese courage and humanitarian spirit.
The war film, released on Friday, tells the story of how Chinese fishermen defied gunfire to rescue over 300 British captives from the Japanese ship Lisbon Maru in 1942. Its release also The film's release also commemorates the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
The production's massive scale created unprecedented challenges in Chinese cinema, involving replica sets built on an actual island location, open-sea filming and a full-scale reconstruction of the Lisbon Maru. Directors Guan and Fei led the creative team through six years of preparation and 200 days of filming.
"Very few people actually know about this historical event. Film, as a medium, can help more people learn this - one that fully embodies the Chinese spirit of courage, compassion and our nation's sense of responsibility. At the same time, as this part of history is being rewritten by the Japanese side, we feel it's our duty to present this account to both Chinese and global audiences - to show the world this demonstration of Chinese bravery and moral responsibility," said Guan.
The directors detailed the painstaking process of balancing historical accuracy with cinematic storytelling.
"Historical accuracy was our foundation, but as a feature film, it demanded characters, narrative depth and dramatic tension - that's why we went through about 21 script revisions. Technically, the challenges were immense: recreating the fishermen's authentic lives, executing complex underwater and surface sequences, and rebuilding the island setting. But these very technical hurdles became my driving motivation - the challenge of maintaining historical truth while achieving cinematic excellence was irresistible. Ultimately, I wanted to create a film that feels contemporary and resonates with modern audiences," said Guan.
Fei described the production's logistical hurdles.
"We chose what seemed like an impossible place to build an entire fishing village and the final result is truly remarkable. It's a complete island, not a peninsula, meaning everything had to be transported by sea. This naturally tripled our costs and time requirements at minimum," said Fei.
"This has likely set a new benchmark in Chinese filmmaking, and nothing like it exists in our film history, with over 40 percent of the movie shot entirely underwater. When I consulted numerous senior, even top-tier international visual effects supervisors, they all admitted they'd never attempted such a project either. That's when my excitement truly ignited: Could we create a purely Chinese film that would leave the global audience in awe?" said Fei.
Chinese filmmakers reveal challenges in bringing heroic WWII story to screen
Chinese filmmakers reveal challenges in bringing heroic WWII story to screen
Chinese filmmakers reveal challenges in bringing heroic WWII story to screen
