Trinity CineAsia has locked down exclusive European distribution rights from Seventh Art Pictures to “Dongji Rescue,” the $80 million Chinese WWII action thriller from Cannes award-winning filmmaker Guan Hu (“Black Dog,” “The Eight Hundred”).
The film, co-directed by Hu and Fei Zhenxiang, will hit U.K. and Irish cinemas Aug. 22, with other European territories following from Aug. 29. It opens in China on Aug. 8.
Drawing from the real-life Lisbon Maru incident of October 1942, the film dramatizes events when an American submarine accidentally torpedoed a Japanese vessel transporting approximately 1,800 British prisoners of war from Hong Kong. Chinese fishermen from Dongji Island ultimately rescued more than 800 survivors in what ranks among the war’s most devastating maritime tragedies involving British forces.
This was also the subject of documentary “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru,” which was China’s entry to the Oscars’ international category.
The cast combines Chinese stars Zhu Yilong (“Only the River Flows”), Wu Lei (“Shadow”), and Ni Ni (“The Flowers of War”) with British newcomer William Franklyn-Miller, who’s attached to play “Young Washington” in an upcoming Wonder production and currently appears in Apple TV’s “Neuromance.” The cast also features Kevin Lee, a familiar western face in Chinese films with credits including “Wolf Warrior” and “The Battle at Lake Changjin.”
The narrative centers on fishing brothers Abi (Zhu) and Adang (Wu) who shelter a British medic (Franklyn-Miller) they discover at sea, triggering a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with occupying Japanese forces. The islanders’ rescue mission unfolds against their traditional belief in saving anyone in maritime peril.
Production presented significant technical challenges, with underwater sequences comprising over 40% of the runtime. The Imax-formatted film utilized robotics for subsurface filming and demanded extensive breath-holding performances from cast members. Full-scale ship recreations and period-accurate village sets were constructed on location at Dongji Island.
“After our recent success releasing films in Europe, we found now was not the time to stop,” said Cedric Behrel, executive director of Trinity CineAsia. “Guan Hu is an extraordinary filmmaker, and his track record speaks for itself, having won a prize in Cannes last year for ‘Black Dog’ and amassed more than $400 million at the box office.”
“The U.K. and subsequent European release of ‘Dongji Rescue’ is significant for the international distribution of the film,” said Liang Jing for Seventh Art Pictures. “We are delighted to collaborate with Trinity CineAsia to bring this touching story, buried in the dust of modern history, to global audiences, especially to the British audience — so that the descendants of British soldiers who survived that disaster know: we are still here, we still remember this story.”
A London premiere is scheduled for Aug. 15, marking the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. Key cast and filmmakers are expected to attend.
The deal represents Trinity CineAsia’s third partnership with Seventh Art Pictures, following releases of “Black Dog” and “The Eight Hundred.”
variety.com
#Guan #Hus #WWII #Epic #Dongji #Rescue #European #Distribution
