Yihwen Chen

Yihwen Chen (born 1985) is a Malaysian documentary filmmaker and journalist. Her body of work primarily revolves around human rights, gender inequality as well as social and environmental justice.

Early life and education Chen studied Creative Media in Film & TV Production at RMIT School of Creative Media in Melbourne. The money was used to fund Chen's next short film Memoria, in 2011. Chen returned to directing her own films in 2019 with the documentary short The Hidden Cut, tackling female circumcision. Chen has spoken out about wanting to use the film to push for anti-sexual harassment legislation and organise panel discussions around it. The film follows the Malaysian LGBTQ punk band "Shh...Diam!". Shot over six years Chen captures the lead singer Faris' transition journey, individual portraits with the band members and the societal challenges queer and trans people face in Malaysia. The result has been described as a "music documentary that pushes past the genre’s boundaries". It was acquired by French distributor Mediawan Rights in February 2025.

Filmography