APPRENTICE

Aiman, a principled young corrections officer, has been transferred to Laragan maximum security prison. Trying to put behind the shame of a criminal father and his own involvement with gangs and drugs, Aiman is determined to craft a better life for himself and his sister. He becomes fascinated by Chief Rahim, a senior official who, as Aiman shortly discovers, is the prison’s Executioner. Rahim recognizes abilities in the young guard that might qualify him to become his assistant. But Aiman knows there is a dark link between them, one that throws his acceptance of the offer into a strange and disturbing light. When his sister discovers what he is doing and who he is working for, Aiman’s personal life threatens to collapse. Told with grace and understated power, APPRENTICE examines an unsettling profession with unflinching honesty and humanity. Filmed with subtle beauty, this tense drama never once exploits or sensationalizes its subject. Within the efficient industry of death lies a riveting and emotional exploration of the deepest themes of life. (In Malay with subtitles) —C.R. APPRENTICE was selected as Singapore's entry for Best Foreign Language Film for this year's Academy Awards ®.