Will Or on acting in the Golden Horse award-winning ‘A Foggy Tale’ and choosing kindness in desperate times

A Foggy Tale triumphed at the 2025 Golden Horse Awards, securing four major prizes, including Best Narrative Feature and Best Original Screenplay. The film strikes a delicate balance between poignancy and humour, reminiscent of the 1997 bittersweet classic Life Is Beautiful, where a father shields his son from the horrors of the Second World War.

“What I love about my character is that he isn’t straightforward,” Or says. “It isn’t just a movie about helping people because you were born kind. It’s about how a flawed character, whose life is fraught with trauma and regret, chooses to offer kindness to another despite his own suffering”. In one scene, Zhao begs a police officer for a cake in a childlike manner. “That’s because he is starving and struggling to survive,” Or says. In another, Zhao explains to an agent in comically broken Mandarin that he carries the finger bones of his friends in cans because he promised never to leave them behind. “The director shows us the overlooked pleasures in something as simple as eating, or the deep pain hidden behind what appears laughable”.

To prepare, Or visited the Jing-Mei White Terror Memorial Park in New Taipei City, formerly a detention centre for political prisoners. Standing before the memorial, he was struck by a sudden, powerful realisation: “Why does history keep repeating itself? How many times must humanity face this kind of suffering?”. He continues, “Every era has its own hardships. Making this movie reminded me that, whatever happens, we must believe in the distinction between good and evil. I hope this film encourages people to choose what is good and hold fast to it. That is the greatest hope one can have in desperate times”.

The movie’s title refers to two versions of a fairy tale created by the deceased brother to console his siblings. To A-Yue, it is a story of two water droplets rising into the atmosphere to form a cloud together—a metaphor for a life spent together. To an older sibling, it is a farewell letter explaining that the droplets did not manage to become a cloud, sacrificing themselves for different causes—a metaphor for how a dream doesn’t always play out the way the siblings envision.

“I didn’t quite understand the metaphor during the shoot in 2023,” says Or. “When the world premiere happened two years later, my life had changed. That was when I truly began to embrace the message”. He is referring to his cancer diagnosis. Using the film as a chance for reflection on his own hurdles, he says, “How we decide to act or feel doesn’t always lead to the outcomes we want, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t the right decisions”.

He adds that there is no “model answer” for dealing with health crises or career setbacks. “Gradually, I accepted that I am a patient. It’s vital to keep believing in yourself, to keep walking, and to find your own understanding of what it means to be present and to live. I’m lucky that I have a supportive family and friends, and when my doctor said there is targeted therapy that I can try, I’m taking it—I’m leading and cherishing my life the way I want,” he says. “This is something I felt strongly throughout the production and release of this film”.

And like Zhao, Or chooses to look at his future with bright, stoic enthusiasm: “I haven’t seen a rom-com that Hongkongers truly love in a while. I’d love to be in one”. Or, who has worked across various genres, remains committed to his roots. “Whether it’s a commercial blockbuster, an indie film or a production exploring social issues, I want to keep making films that matter and that people enjoy. That is what keeps this city’s industry blossoming”.

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