At Death's Door: Boo Junfeng's Apprentice and Capital Punishment in Singapore

Singaporean director Boo Junfen's sophomore, Un Certain Regard–screening feature depicts a young prison guard's developing relationship with the penitentiary's chief executioner. With its desolate, menacing jail setting, Apprentice also captures the human preoccupation with mortality and morality, particularly in light of the still-contentious death penalty, writes Nicholas Godfrey.

Additional keywords: crime, justice, judicial system, culture, religion, Malay.