With a fascination for the recreation of fictitious personae, the resulting photographs by Joe Lai resemble shots taken on film sets as advertisements for cinematic features. Imitating the manner of film stills, Lai is recreating a succession of characters in dramatic and occasional horror situations that hint at stories. Deliberately ambiguous, he engages the viewer by inviting individual interpretation. Initially, the series was formed in Paris, France by photographing friends in the neighbourhood and in studios with the use of basic props. Gradually it widened to various outdoor locations in countries such as Japan, China and Hong Kong, by envisioning an extended range of characters and contexts.