Dongji Rescue
2025 Chinese film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dongji Rescue (Chinese: 东极岛) is a 2025 Chinese historical war action film directed by Guan Hu and Fei Zhenxiang, and starring Zhu Yilong, Wu Lei and Ni Ni.[4] Based on the real-life Lisbon Maru incident during World War II, the film tells the story of Chinese fishermen who risked their lives to save over 300 British prisoners of war after a Japanese transport ship sank off the coast of Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang province, in 1942.[2] The film was released in China on August 8, 2025.[5][6]
| Dongji Rescue | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Simplified Chinese | 东极岛 |
| Traditional Chinese | 東極島 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Dōngjí Dǎo |
| Directed by | Guan Hu Fei Zhenxiang |
| Written by | Chen Shu Zhang Ji Dong Runnian |
| Produced by | Liang Jing |
| Starring | Zhu Yilong Wu Lei Ni Ni |
| Cinematography | Gao Weizhe |
| Music by | Atli Örvarsson |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 134 minutes[1] |
| Country | China |
| Languages |
|
| Budget | US$80 million[2] |
| Box office | US$50.2 million[3] |
Plot
The film is based on a true story of Chinese fishermen rescuing British prisoners of war. During World War II, a Japanese cargo ship carrying British prisoners was sunk in the waters near Zhoushan, and thousands of them were trapped in the cabin by the Japanese army. In desperation, a group of fishermen from Dongji Island came to their aid.[7]
Cast
- Zhu Yilong as Ah Bi
- Wu Lei as Ah Dang
- Ni Ni as Ah Hua
- Yang Haoyu as Li Yuanxing
- Chen Minghao as Mr. Chen
- Ni Dahong as Mr. Wu
- Wang Yiquan as Ah Kui
- Kevin Lee as Lieutenant Colonel Stewart
Production
The creative team began preparations in 2019, a process that spanned six years.[8] In 2023, they set up filming locations in Wuxi, where the crew built a full-scale replica of a giant prisoner-of-war ship. They also used nearly lost intangible cultural heritage techniques to construct 24 fishing boats modeled after those from more than 80 years ago.[9][10]
Principal photography started on 24 June 2024 and wrapped on 6 January 2025.[11][12] The film was shot on locations in Zhoushan, Zhejiang.[11]
Release
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature | Tim Crosbie, Celeste Chen, Christian Sjöstedt, Lea Benjovitz | Nominated | [14] |
| Weibo Awards | Anticipated Movie of the Year | Dongji Rescue | Won | [15] |