The film industry is mourning the loss of Lai Yuqing, a rising director whose debut feature recently gained international attention. Lai died in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at the age of 23.
Production companies Nimbus Films and Inwave Films confirmed the news in a joint statement. They described the filmmaker as a “singular voice” who looked at the world with “rare sensitivity and honesty.”
Investigation into Phnom Penh incident
Authorities in Cambodia are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, which occurred on 30 December. While official details have not been released, local reports suggest the filmmaker fell from a building in the capital.
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Lai’s family is currently in Phnom Penh to arrange the funeral and coordinate with local investigators. The family plans to make an official announcement once the police conclude their inquiries.
Her backers have pledged to continue supporting her work, ensuring that her voice is heard around the world. “We are devastated by her departure,” the statement continued. “Yuqing’s talent lives on in her images.”
A promising career cut short
Born in Tianjin, China, Lai moved to North America to study filmmaking. Her education took her to New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto before she began filming in Southeast Asia.
Her first feature-length film, Whisperings of the Moon, was a queer love story set in Phnom Penh. The film follows an actor who returns to the city after her father’s death and reconnects with a former lover.
The film premiered at the 30th Busan International Film Festival in 2025, where critics praised its “calm, luminous intensity.” Lai was known for working with first-time actors and had a reputation for being attentive to the small gestures and silences between people.
Before her feature debut, Lai also completed two short films, Two Suns and Love Is a Book. Colleagues say she was already shaping a unique style that was quietly powerful.
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