Valley of the Shadow of Death

For years single parent Mei Chun has been raising her mentally handicapped son Ray on her own. She is used to the challenges as an around-the-clock caregiver of the grown-up son. While her patience may wear thin at times, she remains tender and has formed a strong and unique bond with Ray. When a sudden sickness strikes, however, Mei Chun is burdened with a difficult decision. The night falls, but will dawn come?

Adapted from a sensational real-life case in 2013, the intricate story begins when a young man partners with his friend to murder and dismember his parents. Pleading not guilty, the defense attorneys soon turn on each other, as the defendants play the devil and idiot game. Meanwhile, heated debates emerge inside the jury room, where nine jurors grapple with the truth.

Heung Wing has been sensitive to paranormal activity and keeps seeing ghosts since he was a kid. One day, Heung Wing receives news that his mother is in coma after committing suicide, which forces him to return to the old home. Everything seems strange and weird.

When a human head is discovered, the paths of a female student, a cellist, an autistic teenager, a police officer, a prostitute, a teacher and a dog are found to be serendipitously entwined. Who caused the death? What is the motive? Where is the body? Attempts to answer these questions lead to keywords starting with the letter "G". As the case is peeled back layer by layer, the complexity and desperation of the people living in Hong Kong today are slowly uncovered, and a suspenseful multifarious Hong Kong story is revealed.

Secondary school teacher Mr. Leung meets his student Emily in a classroom after school to talk about her behavioural problems. He is subsequently arrested on Emily’s allegation of sexual assault. Before the trial takes place, Mr. Leung’s colleagues have already decided on his guilt. The school is anxious to brush the matter aside to save its reputation. Ms. Chan has known Mr. Leung for many years and is the only person who believes in his innocence, yet she is criticised and chastised by the others for supporting Mr. Leung. Under pressure from all sides, Ms. Chan hesitates to serve as Mr. Leung’s character witness.

Ah Choi has a complicated relationship—she is attached to her boyfriend, Ah Wood, yet weary of their daily interactions, and is drawn to new and fresh ideas. Though she feels lonely, she also cherishes solitude, caring for her own solitary shadow, drifting between two extremes. Wah Chi teaches at an international school and enjoys writing poetry. After her family emmigrated abroad, she lives alone in her old home, accompanied only by a cat. Dreams, daily life, and poetic sensibility gradually blur together, turning into a series of images. The diversity and fleeting nature of modern society have caused them to lose their sense of time and connection.

Angela has no doubt that "one of these days, father will come back from the outer space to take her away because he is an alien." This thought was instilled by Angela's mother who committed suicide due to severe mental illness. Ever under the watchful eyes of her grandmother and psychiatrist, Angela starts to hear voices from the sky. Weary and scared, the grandmother has no choice but to send Angela for hospitalization. Angela's belief and longing for reunion with her parents grow stronger than ever. Eventually, she takes a leap of faith in finding her own destiny.

Ting and her friends go to Mui Wo where they see cows freely walking around. Someone appears and reminds them not to disturb the cows. The next day comes the news that seven cows were killed in a car accident at Mui Wo, which catches Ting and her friends’ attention. Ting starts a fundraising campaign hoping to build a cows’ shelter but is taken as an act to trick people’s money. The disheartened situation brings Ting to revisit the site, where she meets Sunset, the cow caretaker whom they have met before. She eventually develops a sense of responsibility to protect the cows when one day Sunset asks her to inherit the post of caretaker from him.

All Christians are blessed by the grace of God—and in some cases, their evils are sanctioned. Devoted churchgoers Grace and her mother live together. Out of Christian charity, they often take in teenagers without parental care. Their latest ward is Ching Yi, a young girl suffering from domestic violence. Brought into their home by Pastor Leung, Ching Yi is treated like a sibling by Grace, who enthusiastically shares her faith to the aloof house guest. Grace’s faith is shaken, however, when she accidentally discovers a secret between Ching Yi and Pastor Leung. When the church disguises vile and unspeakable deeds as the will of God, Grace decides to take matters into her own hands.

Life and death are decreed by fate, so the wisdom goes—but who really controls our first and last breath? When we are vulnerable, is the omniscient and omnipotent Heavenly Father the only refuge? The pastor’s wife is terminally ill. By her death bed is the devoted younger son who wishes to minimize her suffering by withholding life support so that she can leave in peace. The pastor, however, insists on obeying the doctrines and God’s will. As signs of impending death approach, is the pastor simply waiting for a miracle? A difficult debate ensues when love for the family conflicts with religious obligations.