He combines his Taiwanese and American roots in a unique and influential cinematic style. He made his directorial debut with Winds of September, selected at Toronto. He continued with Starry Starry Night, adapted from a book by Jimmy Liao, and with Zinnia Flower, with which Karena Lam won the Golden Horse for Best Actress. With The Garden of Evening Mists he received nine nominations for the same awards. Yen and Ai-Lee premiered at the Busan Film Festival.
