4 real historical locations · Indonesia, Singapore
Based on the true experiences of Allied women prisoners held in Japanese camps in Sumatra, who formed a vocal orchestra — singing transcriptions of classical pieces — as an act of defiance and spiritual sustenance. Glenn Close leads the story of women's courage under captivity.
CinemaMapped has mapped 4 real historical locations where the story takes place, spanning Indonesia, Singapore.
Women civilian internees in a Japanese POW camp in Sumatra form a vocal orchestra, composing and performing works entirely with the human voice — music as su...
The Belalau women's camp in Sumatra held civilian women interned after the fall of Singapore in 1942. Margaret Dryburgh and Norah Chambers established the 'Vocal Orchestra' in 1943, arranging classical works for voice...
View location →Survivors of the sinking of the Vyner Brooke are interned in camps on Bangka Island. Among them is missionary Adrienne Pargiter, who begins organising the wo...
In February 1942 Japanese forces executed 22 Australian Army nurses on Bangka Island beach after the Vyner Brooke was sunk. Only one nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel, survived to testify at war crimes trials.
View location →The women's POW camp at Palembang where the vocal orchestra takes shape. Betty Jeffries transcribes classical scores from memory; the women perform Dvorak an...
The Palembang camps held Dutch, British, and Australian women POWs in Sumatra until 1945. The vocal orchestra was real: conductor Margaret Dryburgh and Norah Chambers organised it from 1943.
View location →The SS Vyner Brooke departs Singapore on 12 February 1942 carrying civilians, nurses, and wounded soldiers in a desperate last evacuation before the city fal...
The Vyner Brooke was bombed on 14 February 1942. Of the 200+ passengers, 53 Australian nurses were aboard. 12 died in the sinking; 22 were executed on the beach; 24 survived three years of captivity.
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