Anthony Wong and Louisa So confront faith and humanity in new Hong Kong movie ‘Valley of the Shadow of Death’

Valley of the Shadow of Death, despite its religious backdrop, is approached by its leads from a distinctly human perspective. “In fact, I don’t approach my character or this film from a religious perspective,” says So, who does not subscribe to any faith. “I approach it from a human perspective because, after all, you’re just playing a person.” Her character, the pastor’s wife, undergoes a dramatic transformation—from a devout believer, to experiencing doubt and disappointment when her religion fails to bring justice, and finally to finding a way forward. “Some people rely on their religions to find solace. But when you’ve lost your faith, or if you’re not a believer, how do you come to terms with the painful situations in life?” she says.

Wong also pushed for radical changes to his character, inspired by a real homicide case that left a lasting impact. He recalls the infamous Braemar Hill murders in 1985, in which a pair of local British teenagers were killed by a group of five young gangsters; the female victim was also raped. “There were rumours that the parents of the victim wrote a letter saying that they forgave the murderers,” he says. “I thought to myself, ‘How could that be real?’ It was reported later that this was fake news.” When the scriptwriter agreed to rewrite the pastor’s scene—in which he takes revenge by drowning the perpetrator during a baptism—Wong felt the plot finally “made sense”.

The film also confronts the weighty question of forgiveness. In the climactic final scene, the mother confronts the perpetrator—So even suggested to the director that the mother should utter the line: “Eat up, you’re too skinny.” “As the mother of the victim, it is true she’s very hurt, but these additional lines show how she is not completely merciless and full of hate. She’s a mother. She’s a human,” says So. “Does she forgive him, or does she look at him with a different lens? In the end, is he really the only sinner here? Every character has, to some extent, some responsibility [for the daughter’s suicide]. It’s a very dynamic film.”

Despite the dark and heavy subjects tackled in Valley of the Shadow of Death, both actors see the brighter side of the experience: each project is an opportunity to learn something new, whether working with a new partner or embracing an unfamiliar character. “There are still many stories to tell in Hong Kong,” So says. “It is the constant discovery and evolving with different scene partners that make acting a very exciting and fun thing to do.”

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