Si Shui (Still Water)
China, United States, Japan, 23 mins, Digital
In 2008, as China basks in Olympic glory, Xi, a domestic worker, remains haunted by the loss of her sister in a devastating earthquake. When she learns of her sister’s reincarnation, she becomes drawn to her employer’s unborn child, convinced it is her sister.
Director: Yijian Shan
Writer: Yijian Shan
Producer: Anqi Chen, Maggie Chen
Director of Photography: Xenia Patricia
Editor: Andrew Stephen Lee
Production Designer: Ziyu Xie
Composer: Eloise Ng
Cast: Meixian Li, Yenan Dong, Mofan Fu
Contact: Yijian Shan, ys3489@columbia.edu
Program E
Saturday, May 16, 9 PM
About the Writer/Director
Shan Yijian is a New York–based screenwriter and director from Chengdu, China. Her work explores the transcendent connections between female interiority, queer desire, class dynamics, and shifting geopolitical landscapes, blending poetic realism with formal experimentation. Alongside her work as a director, she also works as a screenwriter for both studio-backed and independent arthouse feature films.
About the Producer
Anqi Chen is a Los Angeles–based producer and a graduate of Columbia University’s MFA in Creative Producing. Having worked across Beijing, New York, and Los Angeles, she brings a cross-cultural perspective to her work and is interested in exploring diverse narrative forms that resonate with global audiences.
