Casey Chan Lai-ying was born in Hong Kong in 1954. She studied art at Sir Robert Black College of Education, first working in advertising design upon graduation and later at a TV magazine. A fondness for Yamada Yoji prompted her to study directing at College of Art, Nihon University, graduating with a film that won an award. Returning to Hong Kong, Chan worked in production in capacities as varied as production assistant, assistant editor, assistant director, producer and director.

She established Gold Harbour International Films in 1992, making her directorial debut with Death Warrant (1992), followed by The Black Morning Glory (1993). Chan also produced a documentary on Hong Kong filmmakers with Japan’s NHK as well as distributing Hong Kong films in Japan. She later distributed DVDs of Japanese films, including the horror series Yotsuya Kaidan and the films of Japanese teen idol Yamaguchi Momoe.

Chan’s directorial career is best represented by The Poet (1998), the story of Beijing poet Gu Cheng’s murder of his wife. Other films include Face to Face (2002), a ghost story based on Japanese author Rampo Edogawa’s novel, I Love You, Mom (2013) and the documentary Silk Expression - Silk Road with Chip Tsao (2003). In 2013, she finished the 3D film 3D Lost in Wrestling, which uses 3D technology to animate and interpret metaphysical thoughts of China.