All Shall Be Well (film)

All Shall Be Well is a 2024 Hong Kong drama film written and directed by Ray Yeung. The film starring Patra Au, Maggie Li Lin Lin initially revolves around Angie and Pat, who are a well-off lesbian couple in their mid-60s but the story ultimately explores family dynamics after the sudden death of Pat.

It had its premiere in the Panorama section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2024. The film won the Teddy Award for best LGBTQ-themed feature film, and 3rd place in Panorama Audience Award for Best Feature Film.

Synopsis
Angie and Pat have been a happy and wealthy lesbian couple in their 60s for last 30 years, living in Pat's flat in Hong Kong. Their friends and relatives respect and adore their relationship. One night, when Pat suddenly passes away, Angie receives comfort from her friends and initially from Pat's family as well. But soon, disputes over Pat's funeral and estate cause a rift between them. Angie has no legal claim to the flat and depends on the fading kindness of Pat's family. Pat was the one who handled everything in their relationship, even though they split the costs equally. With the help of her chosen family, Angie starts a journey of self-reliance in her later years.

Cast

 * Patra Au as Angie
 * Maggie Li Lin Lin as Pat
 * Tai Bo as Shing
 * Leung Chung Hang as Victor
 * Fish Liew as Fanny
 * Hui So Ying as Mei
 * Rachel Leung as Kitty
 * Luna Shaw as Yvonne

Release
All Shall Be Well had its world premiere on 16 February 2024, as part of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, in Panorama.

In December 2023, Berlin-based company Films Boutique has acquired the sales rights of the film prior to its Berlinale premiere.

The film opened the 48th Hong Kong International Film Festival on 28 March 2024. It had its Canadian premiere at the Inside Out Film and Video Festival on 26 May 2024.

The film was showcased in 'LGBTQ+ Visions & Horizon: Queer Unbound at NYAFF' at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival on July 13, 2024.

Reception
Josh Slater-Williams of IndieWire reviewing at Berlinale graded the film A and wrote, "[the] deeply moving fourth feature from writer-director Ray Yeung tenderly explores the aftermath of unexpected loss, where the uncertainty and chaos of the immediate grieving period is compounded by delicate negotiations that need addressing amid a very specific set of circumstances."

Clotilde Chinnici writing in Loud And Clear Reviews rated the film with four stars and said, "If there is a film that could capture this same feeling of this mundane and yet world-shattering grief, it is this one. All Shall Be Well will break your heart for its entire 90-minute runtime, but by the end of it, we realise it is all worth it."

Paul Heath of The Hollywood News reviewing at Berlinale rated the film with 4 stars and wrote, "Beautifully told and superbly acted, All Shall Be Well is an involving, very sad drama that is a standout at this year’s Berlinale Panorama strand."

Olivia Popp of Asian Movie Pulse states, "Yeung's latest feature is generous but never indulgent, taking the approachable genre of the family drama and placing it in the context of topical issues in today's queer Hong Kong...Between sequences, Yeung interjects towering Hong Kong highrises shot from below, the city both a haven for the couple — where street market stall owners happily recognize them — as well as a threatening source of the unknown."

Accolades
The film was the winner of the Audience Award for Narrative Features at the 2024 Frameline Film Festival.