Cathy Yan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cathy Yan
Yan in 2020 at the Birds of Prey London Launch Party
Born	1986 (age 38–39) China
Nationality	American Chinese
Alma mater	Princeton University New York University
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	2010–present
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	阎羽茜
Traditional Chinese	閻羽茜
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Yán Yǔxi

Cathy Y. Yan is a talented American filmmaker. She was born in China. Cathy is known for directing, writing, and producing films. Her movies include the comedy-drama Dead Pigs (2018) and the superhero film Birds of Prey (2020). Birds of Prey is part of the DC Extended Universe.

Cathy Yan's Early Life and Education

Cathy Yan was born in China. She grew up in Northern Virginia, close to Washington, D.C.. Her father moved to the U.S. to study when she was young. Her mother followed two years later. Cathy stayed in China with her grandparents until she was four. Then, she joined her parents in America.

As a child, Cathy loved being creative. Her family, especially her father, encouraged her artistic side. By age eight, she often carried a video camera. She enjoyed expressing herself through art and even dancing. When she was fourteen, she moved to Hong Kong for high school.

Cathy went to Princeton University and graduated in 2008. Later, in 2016, she earned two degrees from New York University. She studied both business and filmmaking there.

Cathy Yan's Filmmaking Career

Before making movies, Cathy Yan worked as a reporter. She wrote for big newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal. She reported from New York, Hong Kong, and Beijing.

First Feature Film: Dead Pigs

Cathy started by writing and directing several short films. She also made a web series and content for well-known brands. In 2018, Cathy directed her first full-length movie, Dead Pigs. The film was inspired by a real event in China. It's a dark comedy filmed in Shanghai. Dead Pigs was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. It won a special award for its amazing cast.

Directing Birds of Prey

In 2018, Cathy Yan was chosen to direct Birds of Prey. This is a superhero film about Harley Quinn from the DC Extended Universe. The movie was released in February 2020. It received good reviews. Margot Robbie starred in and helped produce the film. Cathy Yan made history as the second woman and the first Asian woman to direct a DC movie.

Future Projects and TV Work

Cathy Yan is always working on new projects. She is directing and producing a film based on a book called Sour Heart. This movie will tell the story of a young immigrant girl. Cathy is also writing the script for it.

In 2021, Cathy directed an episode of the HBO drama series Succession. The episode was called "The Disruption". For her work on this episode, she was nominated for a big award.

Cathy Yan's Film Styles and Influences

Cathy Yan' gets ideas from many filmmakers. She admires Chinese directors like Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou. Her father loved Chinese movies from the 1990s. This helped Cathy discover more East Asian art-house films, including those by Wong Kar-wai. She also appreciates American directors like Robert Altman and Paul Thomas Anderson. Cathy sees her film Dead Pigs as a mix of American independent films and classic Chinese independent movies.

Cathy Yan's Filmography

Here are some of the films and TV shows Cathy Yan has worked on.

Short Films

Feature Films

Television Work

See also

In Spanish: Cathy Yan para niños