RSL Australia is proud to be a key sponsor of this new feature documentary: Under a Bamboo Sky - a previously untold story of Australian POWs, brought to life 80 years after the end of WWII.
Captured during the Japanese offensive and imprisoned in Singapore’s Changi Barracks, the film follows the years long journey of these soldiers through four countries: forced into slave labour building the Thai Burma Railway, shipwrecked at sea, and sent into factories and down coal mines in Japan. After bearing witness to some of WWII’s most history-defining events, they tell of returning home to families, wives and sweethearts after years away, and of the price they paid for the trauma they endured.
Shining through the horrors of war is the spirit of these men who, remarkably, demonstrate an inspiring human capacity to find beauty in their surroundings and hold onto hope in the worst of circumstances. Under A Bamboo Sky is their story.
A tale of human connection, hope and resilience in the face of great tragedy, Under a Bamboo Sky uses new technology to bring to life the unbelievable story of Australian soldiers held prisoner by the Japanese in WWII. Using their own words, their own voices, Under a Bamboo Sky weaves the recollections of more than 60 former POWs together with newly colourised archival material and new location footage to deliver a moving, intimate and revelatory first-hand account of their experience.
The film held it’s World Premiere on March 25 in Canberra before rolling out for special in-cinema events across the country in the lead up to ANZAC Day, offering a chance to experience the film at its most immersive IN CINEMAS ONLY, and providing an opportunity for collective remembrance and learning for a future generation.
