'Dongji Rescue:' Between the sea and humanity

Set against the backdrop of World War II, "Dongji Rescue," now in Chinese theaters, is inspired by the real events of the Lisbon Maru — a stricken Japanese military cargo ship carrying over 1,800 British prisoners of war.

The film offers a moving portrayal of British soldiers— wounded and adrift— rescued by the fishermen of Dongji Island. It captures their rescue and recovery in the fishing village, where deep friendships grow amid hardship and the chaos of war, and where humanity runs deeper than the sea.

From women cooking over iron woks by the shore, to children peering out from fishing nets, to fishermen standing in a solemn farewell, each scene reflects a compassion that transcends borders.

More than a story of rescue, the film pays tribute to the dignity, kindness, and innate goodness of ordinary Chinese people, as well as to the significant contributions they made to WWII.