by FIlmInk Staff
WildBear Entertainment is thrilled to announce their groundbreaking new Australian feature documentary UNDER A BAMBOO SKY, will be available on Netflix from May 8, following the success of event screenings at over 100 cinema locations nationally in the lead up to ANZAC Day 2026.
Using footage colourised for the first time, the film tells a powerful and previously untold story of a group of Australian POWs in WWII. 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.
WildBear Entertainment CEO Michael Tear says “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 says “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.”
From May 8, people from all corners of Australia and New Zealand will have access to this compelling story, with The Australian urging “Every generation should have a fresh reminder of this episode in our history – lest we forget.”
Responses from the audiences and the community include:`Nicki Spackman, niece of former POW Alan Pope whose voice appears in the film said: Congratulations Serge on successfully sharing a very important story. We laughed & we cried! We talked all the way home. We had 4 generations sit & watch it together, which opened up immense avenues for conversation. As a school teacher, I can see enormous potential in your story for future discussions & connections.
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.”
RSL National President Peter Tinley AM, said the RSL was honoured to support this important film, and 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.
Media response has also been strong with “extraordinary and engrossing” from Filmink, “an entirely visceral experience…a must watch film for all…5 stars*****” from Glam Adelaide and “4 stars **** …intense and powerful…ensures that their stories of suffering and survival are now on the public record.” from The Canberra Times.
The film vividly brings to life their unbelievable trajectory from imprisonment at Changi, to build 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.
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)
