All Shall Be Well
In the aftermath of her longtime girlfriend’s sudden passing, Angie must fight not just for her own peace of mind in the face of grief but to keep the apartment they called home. Winner of the LGBTQ+ Teddy Award at the 2024 Berlinale.
Pat (Maggie Lin-Lin Li) and Angie (Patra Au Ga Man), two elderly lesbians living in Hong Kong, have been in a loving, committed relationship for over 40 years. Although their partnership is not widely accepted in Hong Kong’s socially conservative culture, Pat’s family recognizes the closeness of their bond and has woven Angie into the fabric of their kinship, even spending holidays like the Mid-Autumn Festival at the couple’s home. When Pat abruptly passes away, the familial relationship between her partner and her family destabilizes, and the family, in the absence of a marriage license binding Angie to Pat or her assets, takes full advantage of their legal right to determine where Pat will be buried and who will be the beneficiaries of her estate. Quiet, mild-mannered Angie finds herself thrown into total precarity with her longtime lover gone and even the roof over her head contested. Director Ray Yeung conceived of All Shall Be Well after interviewing older gays and lesbians who, upon their partner’s passing, find that their partner’s families quickly gobble up the inheritance, as is their legal right in Hong Kong, where gay marriage remains forbidden, making the default next-of-kin the closest blood relative of the deceased. The film serves as a stunning, gentle call to action for legal protections for LGBTQ+ elders and families.
—Angel Cetorelli
- Original Language Title: 從今以後
- Director: Ray Yeung
- Principal Cast: Patra Au Ga Man, Maggie Li Lin Lin, Tai Bo
- Premiere Status: North American
- Country: Hong Kong, China
- Year: 2024
- Running Time: 93 min.
- Producer: Michael J. Werner, Teresa Kwong, Sandy Yip, Chowee Leow
- Screenplay: Ray Yeung
- Cinematographers: Ming Kai Leung
- Editors: Lai Kwun Tung
- Music: Veronica Lee
- Website: Official Film Website
- Awards: Berlin Film Festival 2024 (Teddy Award, Panorama Audience Award: Second Prize)
- Filmography: Twilight’s Kiss (2019), Front Cover (2015), Cut Sleeve Boys (2006)
- Language: Cantonese
- Has Subtitles: Yes
- US Distributor: Strand Releasing
- International Sales: Films Boutique