In 1942, during the Second World War, a Japanese ship called the Lisbon Maru was sunk in the East China Sea. Hundreds of British prisoners of war onboard perished, while over 380 others were rescued by nearby Chinese fishermen. For decades, the tragedy remained largely forgotten until the release of the documentary movie “The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru” in September 2024. The driving force behind the documentary was Fang Li, a Chinese geophysicist and filmmaker, who spent eight years uncovering this little-known chapter of history. What drove him to dedicate so many years to this quest? What challenges did he face along the way and what untold stories emerged in his pursuit of the truth? (Cover image source: Visual China Group/VCG)