Documentary - Under a Bamboo Sky
RSL Australia is proud to be a key sponsor of the new feature documentary: Under a Bamboo Sky - a previously untold story of Australian POWs, brought to life 80 years after the end of WWII and produced by ABCG Film Distribution in collaboration with WildBear Entertainment.
The film had its World Premiere on March 25 in Canberra before rolling out 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, and providing an opportunity for collective remembrance and learning for a future generation. From 8 May 2026, Australians and New Zealanders will be able to stream the documentary on Netflix.
Synopsis
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 (oral testimony) 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.
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.
Watch the trailer
Australian POWs featured in the film
Do you recognise a name, or could your family be connected to one of these stories?
UNDER A BAMBOO SKY is the story of one group of Australian POWs, whose three-year journey across four countries is told through the actual voices of 63 men of various ranks, who were aged between 18 and 32 at the time of their capture in early 1942 and who lived to tell their stories.
The interviews were recorded more than 50 years after their liberation, found among an archive of some 2000 interviews, some recorded in 1999-2000 for the ABC TV Australians at War series, with many more conducted for the UNSW Australians at War film archive and by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
Click here for a full list of the voices in the film
Making Under a Bamboo Sky
The national release marks the first foray into theatrical distribution for Australia’s leading independent documentary studio WildBear Entertainment, working in collaboration with ABCG Film who bring a wealth of experience, energy and passion for connecting audiences with Australian films.
Directed by Serge Ou (Ride, Runn, Ford vs Holden, Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks), Under a Bamboo Sky uses new technology to bring vividly to life the extraordinary story of a group of young Australia POWs in WWII who were, unbelievably, present at many of the region’s defining moments of the war from construction of the Thai-Burma Railway to witnessing the atomic destruction of Nagasaki.
Narrated with the immediacy of the voices of those who were there, Under a Bamboo Sky weaves the oral testimonies of more than 60 former POWs together with archival material colourised for the first time and new location footage to deliver a moving, intimate and revelatory first-hand account of their experience.
With decades of experience in crafting historical documentaries and working with military archives all over the world, director Serge Ou and the team at WildBear Entertainment knew that this would be a very different film from the factual storytelling they are renowned for.
Says director Serge Ou “We set out to make Under a Bamboo Sky a holistic and immersive experience for audiences to hear, see and feel these men’s experiences.”
ABCG Film principals Alicia Brescianini and Cathy Gallagher said “When we first heard this story, we almost couldn’t believe it, and yet it is all true. Under a Bamboo Sky is crafted in a way which honours and respects the stories, their authors and the custodians of their archive. The project revitalises these stories in a way that bridges the generational divide and we are very proud to collaborate with WildBear in bringing it to cinema audiences at a time of national remembrance.
Under a Bamboo Sky was produced by WildBear Entertainment in recognition of the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII, financed with the assistance of the ACT Government and Screen Canberra, The Returned & Services League of Australia and the Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ Saluting their Service Commemorative Grants Program. Supported by the Australian War Memorial.
Please be Advised
The film does not claim to be an accurate historical record, nor does it claim to speak for all Australian POWs.
The film contains footage, images, voices and names of people who have died.
Some will find the content confronting or distressing. Viewer discretion is advised.
Some content may contain offensive language, depictions of sexual matters or negative stereotypes.
Visit the documentary’s official website: www.underabamboosky.com
