Documentary Film Screening – The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru

Date: 24 September 2025 (Wednesday)
Time: 4 - 7 PM
Venue: Studio 303, CYMCC, HKU
RSVP HERE

Screening: 4 - 6:15 PM
Q&A: 6:15 - 7 PM
*The Q&A session will be conducted in English

Guest Speakers:

FANG Li

Director/Producer of The Sinking of the Lisbon Mar

Fang Li is a producer, executive producer, director, screenwriter, geophysicist, and marine technology expert in Mainland China. He also serves as the President of Laure Industrial Group Company and is the Founder and President of Laure Film Industry Co., Ltd. The works for which he has served as producer or executive producer include: Dam Street, Summer Palace, Lost in Beijing, Buddha Mountain, Double Xposure, The Continent, Ever Since We Love, Song of the Phoenix, Tiger Robbers, The Fallen Bridge, etc.

FAN Ming

Co-Director/Co-Producer of The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru

Fan Ming is an accomplished journalist, documentary filmmaker, and judge for the Emmy Awards in News and Documentary. She holds an MPA from Harvard University and served as an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she was the chief editor of CCTV's Insight (Kan Jian) program and senior director for programs such as News Probe and Face to Face. Her notable directorial works include the documentary films Under the Dome, Strangers—Talking to Jihadists, and In the Name of Life, among others.

Synopsis:

The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru — A forgotten tragedy of World War II, a quest for truth spanning 80 years.

Eight years in the making, the documentary The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru weaves together hundreds of testimonies from survivors and their descendants, extensive multinational investigations, archival research, and cinematic animations to reconstruct this heart-wrenching historical event involving China, the United States, Britain, and Japan. Beyond exposing the cruelty and absurdity of war, it tells a profound story of human dignity and courage in the face of death, of atrocity and benevolence. It delves deep into the moral trials of wartime, revealing war's devastating impact on individuals and families. The film earned the highest Douban score of 9.3 for a Chinese film in 2024, represented Mainland China in competing for the Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, won the Best Documentary Award at the 37th Golden Rooster Awards, and was honored as the Film of the Year 2024 by the Directors' Association of China.