Hi, I’m Siyi Chen, a New York-based documentary director and editor, originally from China.
Drawing on my background in history, literature, and journalism, I blend personal and collective memories, desires, and fantasies to explore themes of displacement and belonging.
My work often paints lyrical portraits of women in the diaspora, transforming everyday domestic moments into poetry, while offering a global lens on identity and migration.
Besides making movies, I also write poems in both Mandarin and English.
Fellowships and Residencies
2017 IDFAcademy (Amsterdam)
2018 Chicken & Egg Accelerator Lab (USA)
2019 SFFILM New American Fellow (USA)
2019 Artist-in-residence at Jacob Burns Film Center (USA)
2019 IDF Academy (China)
2023 PBS Ignite Mentorship for Diverse Voices (USA)
2024 Firelight Documentary Lab (USA)
Talks
2022 IDFAcademy Talk: How to not lose track of your story
2024 Tribeca Film Festival: Making the Cut: Lessons for Emerging Editors
2024 Columbia China Forum: Cinema Panel
Education
Peking University
BA in World History & BA in Chinese Literature (double degree)
New York University
MA in News and Documentary