| 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 |
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| Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 134 minutes[1] |
| Country | China |
| Languages |
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| Budget | US$80 million[2] |
| Box office | US$50.2 million[3] |
Dongji Rescue (Chinese:东极岛) is a 2025 Chinesehistoricalwaraction film directed byGuan Hu andFei Zhenxiang, and starringZhu Yilong,Wu Lei andNi Ni.[4] Based on the real-lifeLisbon Maru incident duringWorld 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 ofZhoushan,east China'sZhejiang province, in 1942.[2] The film was released in China on August 8, 2025.[5][6]
The film is based on a true story of Chinese fishermen rescuing Britishprisoners of war. DuringWorld War II, a Japanesecargo ship carrying British prisoners was sunk in the waters nearZhoushan, and thousands of them were trapped in the cabin by the Japanese army. In desperation, a group of fishermen fromDongji Island came to their aid.[7]
The creative team began preparations in 2019, a process that spanned six years.[8] In 2023, they set up filming locations inWuxi, where the crew built a full-scale replica of a giantprisoner-of-war ship. They also used nearly lost intangible cultural heritage techniques to construct 24fishing boats modeled after those from more than 80 years ago.[9][10]
Principal photography started on 24 June 2024 and wrapped in 6 January 2025.[11][12] The film was shot on locations inZhoushan,Zhejiang.[11]
Dongji Rescue was released on 8 August 2025 in China.[5] It was released in the US and UK on 22 August 2025.[13]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Weibo Awards | Anticipated Movie of the Year | Dongji Rescue | Won | [14] |