The documentary film The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru wins the best documentary award at the 37th China Film Golden Rooster Awards. [Photo/wifizs.cn]

The documentary film The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru won the best documentary award at the 37th China Film Golden Rooster Awards, which was held in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Nov 16.

Directed by Fang Li, the film unveils the truth behind the sinking of the Lisbon Maru 82 years ago in the waters off Dongji Island, Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, and tells the heartfelt story of British prisoners of war and Dongji fishermen.

Released on Sept 6, the documentary has grossed over 45 million yuan ($6.21 million) at the box office in just over two months and boasts a high score of 9.3 out of 10 on the popular review aggregator Douban.

In September, the film received the best documentary award of the Golden Silk Road Awards at the 11th Silk Road International Film Festival.

On Sept 28, it was announced that the film was selected to represent the Chinese mainland in the bid for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards.