In the depths of my soul, I revisited the movie “All Shall Be Well” (2024) and was deeply moved again.
After its grand premiere at the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival at the Cultural Centre, I took a deep breath, as if inhaling the essence of delicately woven emotions. Unlike the tumultuous scenes of anguish and sorrow over the deceased, this film embraced restraint. The sudden demise occurred off-screen, shrouded in enigmatic silence. Tears sought refuge in a telephone booth on the street, and characters’ unspoken thoughts echoed in the silence.
The film tells the story of Angie (played by Patra Au) and Pat (played by Maggie Li), a devoted couple who have been together for over 40 years. Pat’s unexpected passing shatters their harmonious relationship. Pat’s family, who were once embraced as kin, gradually turns against her, attempting to gain control of her affairs. Angie, widowed and unrecognised by the law, finds herself caught in a paradox. The inheritance, including their shared residence, emerges as an impassable barrier between them.
This film feels even more oppressive than director Ray Yeung’s previous work, “Twilight’s Kiss (Suk Suk),” with its calm visuals and brooding aesthetics. The second time I watched it, I noticed many details conveyed through costumes and props. For example, after Pat’s death, Angie carries her tote bag on her solitary journey to the market where they used to shop together. Pat’s gravestone inscription reveals her ancestry in Chaozhou, a place known for its “macho men”… Unresolved conflicts lurk beneath the facade of condolences. The male characters, each burdened by their own failures, take on difficult roles. However, the actors masterfully use understated nuances to bring their characters to life and portray their inner turmoil.
During the post-screening discussion, I thanked the director and cast for creating a film that was both clean and deeply piercing. Manipulative melodies are absent, replaced by, for instance, the symphony of simmering water, which recalls the couple’s shared ritual of tea-making. Such notes alone evoke the desolation that comes with losing a loved one. The ending takes us back to Pat and Angie’s morning walk together. Their deep affection is beyond words, glistening within their gazes, and tears welled up in my eyes. This ethereal realm, nourished by the cinematic tapestry, invites us to immerse ourselves in the complex web of interpersonal relationships and conflicting emotions, prompting us to reflect on these situations.
One moment captured my heart: Angie giving a goldfish to Pat’s two grandnephews. It was a single goldfish, carefully chosen by Angie at a store, trapped in a transparent bag half-filled with air and half-full with water, to be given to the children living in cramped quarters plagued by the lingering smell of curry from an Indian restaurant downstairs and infested with rats. Doesn’t this resemble the scene during the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Angie and Pat hung up a beautiful goldfish lantern on their balcony (the one on the film poster)? Why, I wondered, did Angie present a solitary fish rather than two? (Another fish appeared within the film: a dark-colored live fish Pat and Angie purchased from the fishmonger in preparation for their Mid-Autumn Festival family dinner. That could represent something else.)
Within the film resides a potent force, empowering us to perceive and contemplate emotions and circumstances that society, or even “the law,” fails to recognize. It deserves to be savored, cherished, and pondered upon. Have we not all faced injustice and neglect, similar to Angie’s situation? After Director Yeung’s passionate advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights during an interview on inmediahk.net, it is clear that simply buying a ticket to see the film is an opportunity to empower and give voice to her/them/us.
Or perhaps one of the reasons same-sex couples in Hong Kong have been hesitant to marry is that the government has not recognised same-sex marriage in recent years. Jimmy Sham, the former convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, married his husband in the United States in 2013, but the Hong Kong government refused to recognise it. Sham filed a judicial review in 2018 to challenge the government’s unconstitutional stance. After losing the case and appealing twice, he was granted a partial victory in September of last year when the Court of Final Appeal ruled in his favour. The court ordered the government to create and implement a comprehensive framework to recognise same-sex relationships within two years in order to meet their basic social needs and provide them with legal identity, so they do not feel like second-class citizens.
After years of struggle, there is finally a verdict. Director Ray Yeung said he is more optimistic than before, but acknowledged that the Hong Kong government has not consulted in the last six months. He hopes that the release of “All Shall Be Well” will draw attention back to this issue in society: “When and how to do this (same-sex marriage), and the impact it has on society, are both important.” [my translation]
— “Interview with ‘All Shall Be Well’ Director: It’s Okay to Label It as a Gay Film, Wear It Proudly.” InMediaHK, 03 May 2024
After finishing the film, I sought solace at my favourite restaurant, my thoughts drifting to the resplendent goldfish on the poster. Angie’s bittersweet act of scattering petals had its own distinct beauty. So I pleaded with the manager to display my gifted movie poster. I do not want that goldfish to be hidden in my room or storage. Let them be seen, and let more people appreciate their beauty.
“All Shall Be Well” is a very touching and sympathetic film about a lesbian couple’s bereavement situation. The film’s subtlety draws attention to the uneasy decisions each character made throughout the process, as well as their internal struggles. All shall be well, or so we thought, but not exactly… Congrats, Director Ray Yeung, and thank you for making this empowering and powerful film.
(This is an translation of the original story in Chinese “從今以後，就讓她們被看見”, May 2024)
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