Zhu Yilong

The sea holds countless secrets, but few as compelling as the story brought to light in the upcoming film Dongji Island (东极岛). Directed by Guan Hu (管虎) and Fei Zhenxiang (费振翔), this cinematic endeavor plunges audiences into 1943, when a Japanese transport ship carrying 1,816 British POWs was torpedoed near China's eastern islands. Facing certain death as their captors abandoned ship and sealed the holds, the prisoners' fate hung in the balance. Against impossible odds, local fishermen from Dongji Island launched their small boats directly into enemy fire, embodying an ancient creed: "Those in peril at sea must be saved." This act of extraordinary courage, forgotten for decades, forms the powerful core of a film six years in the making, demanding monumental effort from cast and crew to resurrect a truth the world needs to witness. Releasing nationwide on August 8th, Dongji Island stars Zhu Yilong (朱一龙), Wu Lei (吴磊), and Ni Ni (倪妮), leading an ensemble cast in a testament to human resilience. Anchored in Truth Recreating this buried history required more than sets and scripts; it demanded pilgrimage. Guan Hu and Fei Zhenxiang led their team to the actual Dongji Islands, seeking the spirit of the past where…