At the 20th Changchun Film Festival, Chinese director Fang Li offered a rare glimpse into his approach to crafting historical narratives that transcend borders. His latest works, The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru and the upcoming Mukden, tackle complex events involving multiple nations, requiring meticulous cultural sensitivity and narrative precision.
Bridging Cultural Divides Through Cinema
Fang emphasized the importance of 'listening to silenced voices' when reconstructing historical events. For The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru – which explores a WWII maritime tragedy involving British POWs and Japanese forces – his team consulted archives across three continents and conducted interviews with descendants from all involved nations.
The Art of Balancing Perspectives
'Historical truth isn’t a monolith – it’s a mosaic of lived experiences,' Fang told attendees. He revealed his 'triple verification' method: cross-referencing official records with personal accounts and material evidence before scripting any scene. This approach has earned praise from historians at Peking University and the London School of Economics alike.
The director’s next project, Mukden, will examine the 1931 railway incident that precipitated Japan’s invasion of northeast China. Fang confirmed collaborations with researchers from the Chinese mainland, Japan, and South Korea to ensure multidimensional storytelling.
