Under a Bamboo Sky - On Netflix May 2026
RSL Australia is thrilled to announce that the groundbreaking new Australian feature documentary UNDER A BAMBOO SKY, will be available on Netflix from 8 May, following the success of event screenings at over 100 cinema locations nationally in the lead up to Anzac Day 2026.
The documentary, produced by WildBear Entertainment, and sponsored by RSL Australia, tells a powerful and previously untold story of a group of Australian POWs in WWII.
The film vividly brings to life their unbelievable trajectory from imprisonment at Changi, to building the Thai Burma Railway, then to Japan via shipwreck at sea, only to work in the coal mines and factories, before then witnessing the atomic fallout at Nagasaki.
Their unbelievable journey has been brought to life using the personal recollections of 63 soldiers, sailors and airmen, delivering an immediate and immersive first-hand account of their experience.
RSL National President Peter Tinley AM, said the RSL was honoured to support this important film, and it is must see viewing for younger generations to connect to the past.
“Changi, the Burma-Thailand Railway and the POW experiences, including witnessing the destruction of Nagasaki by the Atomic Bomb in August 1945, are essential parts of Australia’s history, and this film communicates that story in a unique and emotive way. The film’s release, coming not long after the 80th anniversary of the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945 that ended the Second World War, sees the POWs sharing their stories as an act of remembrance for all Australians and for generations to come,” Peter Tinley said.
WildBear Entertainment CEO Michael Tear said “We have been overwhelmed by the response to the film in cinemas and are extremely pleased with the results of WildBear’s first foray into theatrical distribution, working with our collaborators at ABCG Film. Now, with the premiere on Netflix, Under a Bamboo Sky will be able to reach even broader audiences.
Director Serge Ou said “We have received so many emails and calls from people who have been moved by the film, or found a connection to their own history. It has been an honour to work with this incredible archive of interviews, footage and photographs, and to find new audiences for their stories.”
Said one direct descendant: “There was much I had heard before, but to experience it in the context of a big screen documentary, it really hit home. Some of it was genuinely new to me and helped provide a fuller picture of what the POWs, and Dad, went through. Well done to all involved — from concept to final cut. I believe those who lived through those atrocious experiences would be very pleased to have their story told so honestly and with such respect.”
From 8 May, people from Australia and New Zealand will have access to this compelling story on Netflix.
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.
Running time: 77 mins Classification: M (mature themes and violence)
