HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 April 2024 - Promoting diversity, equity and inclusion is engraved in Hugill & Ip's DNA, while also supporting the vibrant creative industries in Hong Kong. The firm believes that embracing diversity and fostering inclusivity are not only the right things to do but are also essential for the growth and success of the legal profession and creative sectors.

At the core of Hugill & Ip's mission is the belief that a diverse and inclusive workplace brings together a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and talents, which in turn fosters innovation, creativity, and better problem-solving. Its solicitors recognise that diversity encompasses various dimensions, including gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability, and more. By actively promoting diversity, Hugill & Ip aims to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Today the firm is thrilled to be part of a special screening of Ray Yeung's new film "從今以後 All Shall Be Well" hosted by 晚同牽 Grey Pride at Elements. Adam Hugill commented: "We recognise the immense value and potential of the creative industries in Hong Kong. We strongly believe that the creative sector plays a vital role in driving economic growth, cultural development, and social cohesion."

Alfred Ip added: "We are delighted to support the launch of Ray Yeung's new film, which storyline is inspired by one of the legal matters our firm handled a few years ago. Our Private Client team has also advised Ray on some legal aspects connected to the case. Moreover, we are excited that this event is hosted by 晚同牽 Grey & Pride, an outstanding organisation that Hugill & Ip helped to obtain Section 88 application for charitable status with Hong Kong's Inland Revenue Department."

Hugill & Ip had already partnered with Ray Yeung for a private screening event of "叔叔 Twilight's Kiss" in June 2020.

More about "從今以後 All Shall Be Well"

Angie and Pat are a well-off lesbian couple in their mid-60s. They have lived together for 30 years in the flat Pat owns in Hong Kong. Their relationship is accepted by their friends and families and they are valued and loved by those around them.

After Pat unexpectedly dies, Angie is not only emotionally supported by her circle of friends, but also - at least at first - by Pat's family. However, little by little, arguments about the burial and inheritance lead to an estrangement.

Angie has no legal right to remain in the flat she shared with Pat and is at the mercy of the dwindling goodwill of her dead partner's family. Even though the couple shared the financial burden equally between them, Pat was the one who took care of everything in their relationship. Supported by her chosen family, Angie embarks on a later-life emancipation journey.

As in his previous film "叔叔 Twilight's Kiss", Ray Yeung once again takes a precise look at the often-precarious everyday life of the older queer community. In the character of Angie, he creates a quiet and yet impressively resilient lesbian heroine.

"從今以後 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.

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. "從今以後 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, "從今以後 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."

More about the director

Born and bred in Hong Kong, Yeung continued his studies in London where he earned a law degree and eventually became a solicitor. Yet his passion for filmmaking got stronger with time and he started reading about different cultures, particularly when he was in the UK. Yeung finally decided to pursue a master's degree in filmmaking from Columbia University in 2008. He followed that by making a series of short films, while Yeung's second feature, the New York-shot Front Cover (2015), showed a director taking considerable creative steps while cleaving closely to subjects near and dear to his heart.

Yeung had expressed interest in doing a Cantonese-language film set in Hong Kong, having grown up there until age 13. "叔叔 Twilight's Kiss" is a film about a gay relationship between two elderly men in Hong Kong and was inspired by the book "Oral Histories of Older Gay Men in Hong Kong" by Hong Kong University Professor Travis Kong. The film premiered at the Busan International Film Festival in 2019. The film had its European Premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival 2020. "叔叔 Twilight's Kiss" is his first Chinese-language film. It was awarded Best Film at the 2019 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award and numerous other awards and nominations from 2019- 2022. He was also presented with the Artist of the Year for Film award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council in 2021.

More about 晚同牽 Grey & Pride

晚同牽 Grey & Pride is the first and only charitable organization serving and looking after the well-being of older LGBTQ+ in Hong Kong.

The organization supports older LGBTQ individuals to establish their positive identities, provides public education and training to social workers and medical professionals how best to care for older LGBTQ community members and educates these individuals recognize and fight for their own rights.

Since its establishment in 2014, 晚同牽 Grey & Pride has achieved a membership of around 150 people. During recent years, Grey & Pride has organized more than 70 activities and events of various kinds.

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About Hugill & Ip

Hugill & Ip Solicitors is an independent law firm providing bespoke legal advice and exceptional client service to individuals, families, entrepreneurs and businesses, in Hong Kong and internationally. Hugill & Ip provides high quality legal services with integrity, professionalism and respect for clients and the community.

www.hugillandip.com