Andrew Lau Wai-keung is one of Hong Kong’s most successful – and prolific – filmmakers. Having directed more than 40 films and served as cinematographer on almost 70, his vast filmography spans triad films, psychological thrillers, romances, ghost stories, car-racing films, Category III adult features and even a musical.“I don’t feel that I have one style that I use in all my movies,” he tells the South China Morning Post in an interview at the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF), where he is the 2026 Filmmaker in Focus.“Every time I choose a story, I try to find a new look to suit that individual movie – I don’t try to apply the same ‘Andrew Lau style’ to each one. I don’t want to say, ‘This is in Andrew Lau’s style,’ because my style consists of many different styles.”Behind the lensUltimately, it is Lau’s skilful cinematography that binds his body of work together. He started his career in 1981 as a camera assistant at Shaw Brothers and worked his way up to cinematographer in 1985. He went on to shoot Ringo Lam Ling-tung’s classic City on Fire (1987) and Wong Kar-wai’s directorial debut, As Tears Go By (1988), among many others.