Chen's debut short film
Like Toy Dolls won the
BMW Shorties Malaysia Grand Prize in 2010 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 ==