All Shall Be Well

Whenever I talk about my reasoning for making the art that I do, I always say that the goal is to make people feel seen, telling stories that resonate so deeply with other people they light up something inside. That's the kind of art that has always moved me, made me feel understood, and inspired me to create the same for others. Watching "All Shall Be Well" hit me with that rush of connection.

Last Monday, I walked into the theater, intrigued only by the synopsis of "All Shall Be Well," a film about Angie and Pat, a butch/femme lesbian couple in their 60s from Hong Kong who have built a lifetime of memories together, supported by friends and family. The plot takes a sudden turn when Pat unexpectedly passes away, leaving Angie unprotected legally and financially, especially in a place where their union goes unrecognized.

Initially, I was skeptical, tired of narratives where lesbian characters face tragic ends. However, the film's deep dive into the complexities of unrecognized same-sex unions, paired with the raw realities of aging and loss, swiftly pulled me in.

This movie cuts deep into why the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is far from over. Sometimes, living in my carefully created bubble, I forget that. I might briefly think, "Things aren't that bad, right?" But then reality hits, and this film slams that home. It shows just how tough things still are for a lot of queer people, and my heart broke over and over for Angie. It's a brutal reminder that so so many LGBTQ+ people still face this reality and will continue to for probably a long time.

There's also something in how the film captures family dynamics, reminding me a lot of "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies". The focus on family and relationships felt really authentic and added another layer to why this film felt so real and touching. This cultural lens was so effective that I found myself comparing the film to "Happiest Season," a 2020 lesbian rom-com. Despite the different genres and themes, both films center on a lesbian couple and included family as a significant role, illustrating the distinct dynamics of Asian families compared to their Western counterparts.

It is a heartbreaking but necessary watch.

A sudden passing of a lesbian partner forces her surviving lover to face the true stance of her partner's family members. Against the backdrop of constricted Hong Kong, the movie will make you feel what the protagonist is going through as she is slowly cornered and pushed aside by her partner's family members. A trailblazer for Asian queer cinema, "All Shall Be Well" artfully encompasses age-old and generally unresolved issues of LGBT familial recognition and rightful possessions. Ray Yeung story-telling movingly guides us through the poignant drama that unfolds the realities of human duality. This latest directorial effort proves to be the best of his works by far.

Two women, Pat and Angie, have been happily living in their beautiful cozy apartment in Hong Kong for decades together. They support, both emotionally and financially, Pat's brother's family and always host family dinners and holiday events. There is no doubt whatsoever that Angie is part of this family, but will that change after Pat suddenly dies in her sleep one day?

At first glance, this film seems to be centered around the legal business that has to be done after somebody who had property to bequeath dies. However, deep down, it is nothing but a drama showing human relationships and how they evolve or deteriorate and what causes these changes to happen. It is about human behavior and conscience, and there's definitely a lot to learn.

Beautiful and delicate work, not to be missed.

Directed and written with subtle precision by Ray Yeung, this elliptical 2024 LGBTQ drama definitely tugs at the heartstrings but doesn't pull punches at key moments. The straightforward plot focuses on Pat and Angie, a longtime lesbian couple who have been living together in Pat's spacious apartment in Hong Kong. After they throw a mid-autumn festival dinner for Pat's immediate family, Pat passes unexpectedly. While the family initially shows genuine sympathy toward Angie, what unfolds is how legally unprotected she is since they weren't married. Although Pat provided financial support to her family, they each face hardships that slowly reveal their mercenary stance toward their legal inheritance. With her lesbian friends providing the only true support, Angie has to face the real possibility of getting kicked out of her home of over thirty years. Patra Au carries the film as the emotionally restrained Angie with much of her pain conveyed through heartbreaking medium close-up shots. Lin-Lin Li makes her few scenes count as Pat with her natural vibrancy. The rest of the cast is genuinely effective, especially in pivotal confrontation scenes that bring resonance to the familiar story of familial disenfranchisement.

Angie and Pat have been together for decades, and just hosted a mid-autumn festival dinner for Pat's biological family, who is less financially secure than Pat. The younger generation speak fondly of "Auntie Angie".

However, when Pat passes away in her sleep, Pat's family considers Angie to be just "a friend", ranking lower than family, overrides her wishes, and gradually pushes her out. Their lawyer friend points out all Pat's errors of omission. Refusing to sign a will (Pat is thinking of starting a new business in fashion retail, rather than acknowledging the possibility of death), executorship defaults to Pat's brother. Not leaving written funeral instructions means that the biological family takes charge. Not getting married abroad means that Angie has no moral standing, and not the little legal standing that such a paper could provide. Having the apartment only in Pat's name means Angie has no claim. The best Angie can do is to claim a dependency allowance from the estate.

As Angie loses battle after battle, it is her chosen family who provides emotional support.

This is allegedly based on real-life events, and shows the problems of not being prepared. Films with this theme showed up in North America a decade or two ago, but the problems mostly ended when same-sex marriage became legal. This is a reminder that the fight for rights still has to continue, but, before rights are established, care should be taken about legal issues.