The life of a middle-aged lesbian is threatened after tragedy strikes in Ray Yeung’s All Shall Be Well, an equally beautiful and painful exploration of LGBTQ+ acceptance in Hong Kong.
The title of Ray Yeung’s new film suggests that when something bad happens, life goes on. It isn’t always sunshine and butterflies; sometimes you just have to smile, hold back the tears, and walk away. In this case, the story of a wealthy lesbian couple in Hong Kong is threatened after one of them peacefully dies. Pat (veteran actress Maggie Li Lin Lin) and Angie (Patra Au Ga Man) have lived together for 30 years in the flat Pat owns in the city. They have a good life, friends in the queer community, their relationship is accepted by their families and loved by those around them, and so are they.
We are introduced to Pat’s family when they hold a family dinner to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Unlike his sister, Pat’s brother, Shing (Tai Bo), lacks sufficient money to live and was recently hired as a car park attendant with a graveyard shift. His wife, played by Hui So Ying, thinks that their life was unfortunate because Shing didn’t listen to their Master. When Pat unexpectedly dies one night, the family is there to support Angie, at least at first, before arguments about the burial and inheritance lead to estrangement, especially in Hong Kong, where same-sex relationships are not fully recognized by the law and have been tolerated, Angie is about to lose her place.
All Shall Be Well is another effort by Ray Yeung after another LGBTQ drama, Suk Suk, which also revolves around the relationship of an older gay couple, was also invited to Berlin Panorama in 2020. Building upon that, his new work confirms Yeung as a deft and empathetic queer filmmaker who draws a beautiful tale of the older LGBTQ community. Carried by a sublime performance from Au Ga Man, whose filmography includes Yeung’s Suk Suk, for which she won Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Her portrayal as Angie, a resilient lesbian who wants only to continue life and honor her partner, in the end, takes a step back rather than suffering in silence, is a quietly compelling performance that amplifies the emotional stakes of Yeung’s empathetic screenplay. Yeung’s sensitivities to the topic create something singular here, troubling and painful but also gentle and beautifully fascinating. I can tell that I am enjoying this film as much as I enjoyed Hong Kong films when I was a kid – watched them on television, the tenderness of Yeung’s film brings back those memories.
All Shall Be Well is part of the Panorama strand at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and is also in competition for the Berlin queer award – the Teddy Award. The film is produced by New Voice Film Productions with Films Boutique once again handling the sales after Suk Suk.
Discover our interview with director Ray Yeung here, by Prachi Bari.
