I wanted these 828 men not to be forgotten: the Chinese documentary raising the ghosts of war | Documentary films

A A little-known World War II tragedy is the subject of a documentary that was a surprise success in China and was chosen by the country for two Oscars, despite having already been disqualified in one of the categories.

Monday, it was revealed that The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru, selected by China as the film for the best international feature film at the Oscars, had been deemed ineligible. The competition rules stipulate that a film in this category must have a majority (more than 50%) non-English dialogue track.

I didn't know the rules at all, explains Fang Li, the director, who claims that the film was selected by the official Chinese committee without his knowledge. Fang says the definition of dialogue was unclear and that by some definitions his film, which interviews people in China, the United Kingdom and Japan, could still be considered 50 percent non-English.

The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru tells the story of a Japanese ship that was used to transport 1,816 British prisoners of war from Hong Kong to Japan during World War II. In October 1942, while the unmarked ship was crossing the East China Sea, it was torpedoed by the United States Navy. Hundreds of prisoners drowned or were shot by Japanese troops while trying to escape. But more than 300 people were rescued by Chinese fishermen who spotted smoke and debris coming from an archipelago on China's east coast (most were later recaptured by the Japanese).

Fang, a businessman turned film director, first learned of the incident when he heard from a fisherman on Dongji Island, a part of the Zhoushan Archipelago that more than 80 years ago , was the site of the rescue mission, mentioning the existence of a sunken World War II ship in nearby waters. Fang set about searching for the remains of the ships, but the project quickly evolved into telling the stories of the people on board. I wanted these 828 men not to be forgotten, says Fang, director, producer and animator of the film, referring to the men who did not survive.

With many people involved in the incident since their deaths, piecing together the story has been a struggle. At one point, Fang sought the help of a private detective in Tokyo to find the children of Kyoda Shigeru, the captain of the Lisbon Maru, who in 1947 was convicted of war crimes for his role in the incident . Prisoners of war had been forced into the hold of the ship when it sank, causing many to die from suffocation and drowning. His children, now elderly themselves, say their father never mentioned the incident. Perhaps at the thought of so many deaths he was full of remorse, said the son of Shigerus.

To find the British survivors, Fang took a different approach. In 2018, he placed a full page advertisements in British newspapers – including the Guardian and Observer calling on any surviving POWs or their loved ones to get in touch. Fang says he received more than 380 responses.

Although the film features shocking Japanese violence, it tells touching family stories, Fang says. But almost 80 years after the war, the countries involved in the Lisbon Maru tragedy, namely the United States, the United Kingdom, China and Japan, still do not maintain easy relations. In recent months, there has been a wave of anti-Japanese nationalism in China, including two separate incidents of stabbings. In one of these attacks, a 10-year-old Japanese boy was killed in Shenzhen, southern China. fatally stabbed on the anniversary of Japan's invasion of China in 1931 (Chinese Foreign Minister said in Japan to avoid politicizing or exaggerating the issue).

When asked if he fears that the documentary, rated 9.3/10 on Doubana Chinese review website, will contribute to anti-Japanese sentiment, but Fang hopes not. This is neither the point nor the value of the film. The value of film is the human stories, he says. He wants to fill in the gaps in history.

However, the film, which is seeking a distributor in the United Kingdom, has been received enthusiastically by Chinese authorities. Although it was disqualified in the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards, it remains China's choice for Best Documentary Feature.

In 2022, Xi Jinping, Chinese President, wrote a letter to the daughter of Dennis Morley, one of the last surviving prisoners of war from the Lisbon Maru. It was hand-delivered to his home in Gloucestershire by the Chinese ambassador to the UK. In his letter, Xi said the Lisbon Maru incident was a historic episode illustrating the deep friendship forged between the people of our two countries. according to a statement from the Chinese Embassy.

Fang insists that the sinking of the Lisbon Maru is a passion project and that he has not actively cultivated official support. People have nothing to do with politics, he said. We want all the soldiers, [or] their souls, to return home.