A screening of ‘The Six’ reveals untold stories

Six of the survivors of the Titanic were Chinese — a little-known fact about one of history’s most well-documented disasters. To highlight their stories, the China Program at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) hosted a screening of the awarding-winning documentary “The Six” (2020) at the McMurtry Building for Art & Art History on Oct. 21. The screening was accompanied by a Q&A by Steven Schwankert, author of a book about the survivors by the same title.

Directed by Arthur Jones, “The Six” follows the saga of Schwankert and his research team as they uncover the obscured histories of these six resilient survivors — Lee Bing, Fang Lang, Chang Chip, Ah Lam, Chung Foo and Ling Hee. Released in 2020 to critical acclaim, the documentary saw a wide theatrical release in China, screening in more than 10,000 cinemas nationwide. 

“The Six” depicts how Schwankert encountered significant obstacles during the research process, reflecting the broader marginalization of minorities through history. For instance, name changes and language barriers between the Chinese passengers and officials on the Titanic made simply verifying the passengers’ names difficult — an unfortunate reality, given their cultural and historical significance. 

During the post-screening Q&A, Schwankert said that the survivors’ “lives were a series of icebergs,” referencing their tumultuous paths in the aftermath of the tragedy. For instance, a particularly poignant segment of the documentary featured a scene in which the Chinese passengers were initially barred from disembarking in New York with the other survivors, instead being forced to wait a full day before being transported elsewhere. The story of “The Six” also subverts familiar Anglo-centric narratives surrounding the Titanic’s sinking, illuminating what lies beneath: in the Q&A, Schwankert noted that even in the classic film “Titanic” (1999), the iconic scene of Rose floating on a door was actually inspired by one of the Chinese survivors, who clung to debris until a lifeboat miraculously returned and rescued him. 

“It’s always an honor to show the film anywhere, and especially a place like Stanford,” said Schwankert. “Since my academic advisor did all of his graduate work here at Stanford, I’ve always kind of felt like I have a small link.” The screening drew a lively mix of members from the Stanford community, including alumni, graduate students and visiting scholars. Throughout the screening, the audience came alive with gasps as the film’s revelations unfolded.

Noa Ronkin, associate director for communications and external relations at APARC, told The Daily that the center aims to “expand engagement offerings around cultural content that resonates with students and the broader community, while always situating these events within a scholarly framework.” Ronkin added that APARC also looks to host more programs like this in the future, citing the Japan Program’s symposia on baseball and the Korea Program’s events on the global appeal of K-pop and K-food.

“The Six,” though fundamentally tragic, remains filled with silver linings. Schwankert said that the survivors “never gave up on the rest of their lives… There is a lot we can learn from that.” 

Schwankert also used the evening to promote his companion book. Responding to an inquiry about the distinction between the book and the film, he said the book was “a little bit geekier” than the documentary. He was able to spend more time on topics that wouldn’t translate well to the screen, such as the technical details of how the passengers might have escaped. 

Attendee Monica Yeung Arima, a volunteer for Stanford’s Chinese Railroad Workers in North America Project, described the film as fascinating and shocking and appreciated how the filmmakers attempted “to tell an untold story.” 

Schwankert said that he “was definitely hoping for more” to come from “The Six,” as the film could open the door to future discoveries about the lives of these survivors. 

And perhaps those discoveries will be in proximity to the Farm. Schwankert noted Ling Hee may have been buried in the Bay Area: “If there’s going to be a discovery anywhere, it’s going to be here,” he said. 

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