Valley of the Shadow of Death: A Bold New Hong Kong Drama Exploring Faith and Forgiveness
Movie Information from Golden Scene
Director: Jeffrey Lam Sen 林善, Antonio Tam 譚善揚
Screenwriter: Antonio Tam 譚善揚
Starring: Anthony Perry Wong 黃秋生, Louisa So 蘇玉華, George Au 歐鎮灝, Sheena Chan 陳書昕, Summer Chan 陳紫萱
From two of Hong Kong’s most daring new voices—directors Jeffrey Lam and Antonio Tam—Valley of the Shadow of Death is an unflinching cinematic debut that confronts the uneasy space between faith and human frailty. Starring three-time Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor Anthony Wong and stage icon Louisa So, this haunting drama follows a pastor whose daughter was raped and driven to suicide—only to be faced years later with the return of her assailant, now a penitent church member.
Developed from a graduation screenplay and selected as the winner of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers’ “Keep Rolling Keep Running” program, Valley of the Shadow of Death explores the moral cost of spiritual ideals. Does loving your enemy mean silencing your pain? Who has the right to forgive?
With powerful performances from a new generation of Hong Kong talent including breakout star George Au, Sheena Chan, and Summer Chan, this award-nominated feature brings the complexities of justice, redemption, and religious conviction to the fore.
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Synopsis
After being raped, Pastor Leung's daughter committed suicide. Years later, when the rapist got released from prison, he joined Leung's church.
What will the pastor do? Will he forgive? Or seek revenge?
「愛你的仇敵，因愛能勝過仇恨。」
說來動聽，但有多少人真的能行出所信？強要將愛蓋過恨，會否反而激起更深的仇怨？梁牧師（黃秋生 飾）的女兒被強姦後自殺了。幾年後，強暴女兒的少年犯阿樂（歐鎮灝 飾）刑滿出獄，還加入了教會。梁牧師該為信仰而寬恕，還是為愛狠狠報復？
Director: Jeffrey Lam Sen 林善, Antonio Tam 譚善揚
Screenwriter: Antonio Tam 譚善揚
Starring: Anthony Perry Wong 黃秋生, Louisa So 蘇玉華, George Au 歐鎮灝, Sheena Chan 陳書昕, Summer Chan 陳紫萱
Co-Director JeffreY Lam sen 林善
Lam is a rising director and actor from Hong Kong, born in 1995 and a graduate of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. In 2017, his short film The End was shortlisted in the student category at the 11th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival. In 2020, he released his second short film Grace, and in 2021, produced an episode of the RTHK television drama Find My Guilty. Lam is also active as an actor. In 2019, he was nominated for "Best New Performer" at the Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in G Affairs. His other acting credits include The Sparring Partner (2022) and Back Home (2023).
Co-Director and Screenwriter ANtonio Tam 譚善揚
A rising director and screenwriter from Hong Kong, born in 1998. Tam graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring in screenwriting. Valley of the Shadow of Death was Tam’s graduation project, and the script was later selected in the first season of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers’ “Keep Rolling Keep Running” program. In 2022, Antonio Tam co-directed the short film Anatomy of Rats with Tino Wu, which was shortlisted at the 16th Fresh Wave International Short Film Festival.
Directors’ Note
"In a society filled with hatred and pain, Valley of the Shadow of Death seeks to explore the theme of forgiveness. Forgiveness is love; forgiveness is the act of letting go of pain. But even if one’s enemy truly repents, the words 'I forgive you' are still incredibly difficult to say. This is precisely the dilemma faced by Pastor Leung in the film — he wants to live out the love taught by God, but as a grieving father, he cannot suppress his very human hatred.
We were brought up in a Christian community, where we often reflected on questions of belief. One teaching that left a deep impression on us is: 'Love your enemies.' It’s a concept that feels both noble and painful, because it is so difficult to live out. What we want to challenge is not religion itself, but human nature.
We also want to explore the idea that good and evil are not binary opposites — a kind person may not be innocent, and even a wicked person deserves a measure of sympathy. If we are all sinners, then who truly has the right to forgive? In the end, this film does not aim to provide answers to these dilemmas, but rather to raise more questions."
Valley of the Shadow of death Official Trailer
In Cantonese, with English and Chinese Subtitles
More from Fête Chiniose
From two of Hong Kong’s most daring new voices—directors Jeffrey Lam and Antonio Tam—Valley of the Shadow of Death is an unflinching cinematic debut that confronts the uneasy space between faith and human frailty. Starring three-time Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor Anthony Wong and stage icon Louisa So, this haunting drama follows a pastor whose daughter was raped and driven to suicide—only to be faced years later with the return of her assailant, now a penitent church member.