What happens when one half of a longstanding lesbian couple dies in a place where same-sex relationships are not fully recognized by the law and have been tolerated, rather than accepted, by society?

In Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well,” which premieres this month in the Panorama section of the Berlin Film Festival, the answer seems to be an unseemly scramble in which rights, friendships and morals are all trampled on.

“The problem is particularly emphasized in a place like Hong Kong, where property prices are out of reach for most people, especially for the younger generation. What would you do if suddenly a decent apartment falls into your lap? Would you give it away to somebody you maybe considered as a stranger?” Yeung tells Variety. “Would the obligations be different in the case of an unmarried heterosexual couple, which society is more accepting of?”

“My film is more...