Chen is the first of an emerging generation of filmmakers from Taiwan who are interested in making populist films. Her cinematic influences include Guy Ritchie, Ridley Scott, Martin Scorcese, David Fincher, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Tsui Hark, Charlie Chaplin, and Stephen Chow. In 2002, she directed the award-winning short “Sorry Spy” which tells the comedic tale of three gangsters competing for control of a new turf. When one of them discovers that the other two had been lovers in the past, he concocts a devilish plan to cause in-fighting between his competitors. Three Stooges-like thugs are sent in to complete the job, with hilarious results. FORMULA 17 is Chen’s first feature-length film.
