Taiwanese director Chen Wei-ling (陳慧翎), a multiple Golden Bell Award winner, died on Wednesday at the age of 48, a close friend of hers said.
Sarso Chou (周銓), a producer who had known Chen for nearly 15 years, told CNA on Wednesday that the director had passed away peacefully at Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital earlier in the day, with her mother and close friends at her side.
Chen was the director of several popular television series in Taiwan, including Year of the Rain (那年，雨不停國), Autumn’s Concerto (下一站，幸福) and Material Queen (拜金女王).
Photo: Pan Shao-tang, Taipei Times
Between 2008 and 2019, she won several Golden Bell awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Editing.
One of her recent series, Mom, Don’t Do That! (媽，別鬧了！) was streamed on Netflix last year. It tells the story of a 60-year-old mother who decides to find love again after her husband’s death, to the joy and annoyance of her two daughters.
In 2013, Chen was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had been hospitalized multiple times since, but she continued her work as a filmmaker.
Chou, Chen’s long-standing friend, said they had worked together on multiple projects over the years.
Prior to Chen’s death, they had been planning two new projects, one of which would tell the story of Chen’s mother, Chou said, adding that he would strive to help complete those films.
“Some people say we had a ‘twin flame’ relationship that went beyond soulmates,” he said, expressing grief at the loss of his dear friend.
Many loved ones were at Chen’s side when she passed away, Chou said.
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