Boo Junfeng & Apprentice

 Headline: Caught in Hangman' s Noose  
By Bissme S


Singaporean filmmaker Boo Junfeng took five years to complete his latest film, Apprentice, and the end result is nothing less than astounding. Apprentice brilliantly depicts the tortured emotions that a hangman goes through while executing criminals in prison. It shows how difficult it is to kill another human being, even if it is the person’s sworn duty. 
When the film was screened at a number of international film festivals earlier this year, , including the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, it received standing ovations and rave reviews. It went on to take home the Network for Promotion of Asia-Pacific Cinema award at The Taipei Golden Horse festival, as well as the Best Acting Ensemble award in Hawaii and the Interfaith award in St Louis in the US. Boo was also named rising director at South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival in October. 
“I am not advocating five years as a natural period for people to make a film,” says Boo. 
“But if you want your film to mean anything to [your audience], it deserves all the time it needs to be made. 
“A good film should outlive the filmmaker,” he added at the press conference after the recent Malaysian premiere of the film in Kuala Lumpur. 
Apprentice centres on a Singaporean Malay correctional officer, Aiman (played by Singaporean actor Fir Rahman), who is recently transferred to the territory’s top prison. At his new workplace, Aiman, 28, forms a close relationship with Rahim (Malaysian veteran Wan Hanafi Su), who is the longserving chief executioner at the prison. Rahim later asks Aiman to become his apprentice. However, Aiman is keeping a secret. His father was executed by Rahim, a fact which haunts Aiman and causes him to have mixed feelings about his new boss. 
Boo does not hide the fact he is against the death penalty. He says: “Fundamentally, I do not believe the state should have the right to take a life.” Yet he insists he does not push his beliefs to the audience in Apprentice. 
Instead, he hopes that the film will spark a healthy debate about capital punishment. 
“It is necessary for any society to examine [certain] issues, especially if they [relate to] life and death, from time to time,” he adds. 
One of the film’s biggest strengths is its two leads, Fir and Wan. To understand his character, Fir met with a woman whose husband was executed. 
“She told me that her husband felt it was better for him to be hanged, because the longer he stays in the prison the more his family will suffer,” he says. 
Meanwhile, Wan got to meet an executioner to help him get into character. The man turned out to be nice, and that encouraged Wan to put some humanity and compassion into his character. 
“[The filmmakers] gave more emphasis [on preparation],” he says. “Their preproduction was good ... and [they gave] me a lot of input to portray my role more convincingly.”
 Boo, on his part, did a lot of research, including reading Once a Jolly Hangman by Alan Shadrake. The controversial book, which criticised Singapore’s judicial system, also included an interview with Singaporean hangman Darshan Singh, who was an executioner for over 50 years. 
Boo also interviewed former executioners, imams and priests who helped death row inmates in their final moments prior to their execution. He also met the families of those sentenced under the death penalty and how they dealt with this bitter reality. 
“Before I met the first hangman, I had already written the first draft of the script,” Boo says. 
“[Afterwards], I realised [the hangman character in my script] was just a caricature. I [actually] liked the hangman I met in real life ... he [became] a person to me.” 
Some films that do well in international film festivals may not do as well in their native countries. Luckily, Apprentice seems to have struck the right chord. 
“The reaction in Singapore was better than expected,” Boo says. 
“A lot of people stayed [until the] end of the credits, [hoping] to see an extra scene.” 
Boo even asked several cinema operators in Singapore to leave the lights off for a few seconds longer once the film is over, to allow the audience to sit in the dark and ponder the issues depicted in the film. 
Footnote Apprentice is now playing in cinemas.

Boo with his two actors Wan Hanafi Su (left) and Fir Rahman  

Wan Hanafi Su & Cannes Film Festival

 
The Malaysian actor Wan Hanafi Su walked at the red carpet at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival recently.  Before catching his flight to Cannes, he spare some time to talk to theSun  
His story was even  blurb at the front page of the sun. 

Here is the full interview   

Headline: Living Out His Dream  
By Bissme S

Veteran actor Wan Hanafi Su was the toast of the Malaysian film fraternity when he walked the red carpet at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival on Monday as one of the stars of Apprentice, directed by Singaporean Boo Junfeng. 
Wan Hanafi was in the French city for the premiere of the film on May 16 under the Un Certain Regard section of the film festival. This section was first introduced in 1978 to showcase films by young talents and to encourage innovative and outstanding works. theSun managed to catch Wan Hanafi for an interview just hours before he left for Cannes. 
“It has always been my dream to have one of my films premiered at Cannes, and I’m happy this dream is finally coming true,” says the 66-year-old actor, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years. 
This made-in-Singapore film centres on a young Malay correctional officer, 28-yearold Aiman (played by Firdaus Rahman), who is transferred to the country’s main prison. At his new workplace, Aiman meets an older sergeant (Wan Hanafi) who is later revealed to be the charismatic Rahim, the long-serving chief executioner of the prison. In his 30-year career, Rahim has hanged more than 600 criminals. 
Rahim also takes notice of the principled and diligent Aiman. When his assistant suddenly quits, he asks Aiman to become his apprentice. Aiman tells his sister, Suhaila (Mastura Ahmad), of his new job, but she becomes upset as their father was actually executed by Rahim. 
Aiman is faced with a dilemma: can he reconcile his conscience and a haunted past to take on the role of the next chief executioner? 
Wan Hanafi explains that he was offered the lead role of Rahim  because the Singapore production team was impressed by his performance in Bunohan. 
In that 2011 film directed by Dain Said, Wan Hanafi plays an ailing man who is losing his mind and is brutally murdered by his son. 
Wan Hanafi says he liked the Apprentice script. “The movie tackles the subject of the death penalty. Subtly, it discusses the issue of whether the death penalty should be abolished or not. 
“The subject matter is unique and interesting. That could [also] have attracted the attention of the Cannes film festival committee.” 
Personally, Wan believes that the death penalty should be abolished. 
“If we kill people, then we are no better than the criminals,” he reasons. 
He says he was impressed by the amount of research and preparation done by director Boo and his team before shooting began. Boo had even arranged for Wan Hanafi to meet and talk to two Singaporean hangmen. 
“I absorbed their experiences and their conflicts into my character,” Wan Hanafi says. 
The trailer of Apprentice looks impressive. Then again, giving impressive performances is nothing new for Wan Hanafi. 
He is known to go to extreme lengths to make his role convincing. For example, in the 2014 Lelaki Harapan Dunia, to portray a character masquerading as an Orang Minyak, Wan Hanafi stripped down to his briefs and smeared black oil all over his body
He says with a smile: “The only role I will not play is lelaki lembut (effeminate man). My wife does not like me to play this kind of role and I do not want to upset her.” He adds that his biggest challenge as a Malaysian actor is not playing a role but getting good scripts and challenging roles. “Most producers are only interested in making commercial movies because they want to make profits,” he laments. 
“Money should not be their only aim to make movies. Don’t they want to make a film where people will remember them many years later?” 
He also points out the lack of good roles for older actors in Malaysia, unlike in Hollywood, where older actors like Morgan Freeman and Meryl Streep still get challenging and meaty roles. “Older actors here are often  sidelined. Most producers want to make commercial films so they hire young actors to draw in the younger audience. “Of course, I feel disappointed and a little bitter about it. But you cannot remain disappointed and bitter forever. Over time, you have no choice but to make the best of your situation.” 
Malaysian director Liew Seng Tat, who directed Wan Hanafi in Lelaki Harapan Dunia, calls him “the most talented actor we have in Malaysia”. Liew adds: “He is like the Robert DeNiro of Malaysia. But he is under- appreciated here. He deserves any success that comes his way.” 
Asked about his chances of winning an award in Cannes, Wan Hanafi laughs. “ Winning the best actor award can be bad for your career if you are a Malaysian actor,” he says. 
“Producers will stay way from you because they think you will be too expensive for them. That was what happened to me when I won some awards. “Let me assure local producers that my fees will remain the same, even after I come back from Cannes.” 
When asked if there is any actor he wants to meet at Cannes, he says with a laugh again: “It will be great if I can be in the same frame with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro.” 
Both are his all-time favourite actors. Meanwhile, Apprentice has managed to grab the attention of international distributors in Cannes. The film will be shown in France on June 1, and eventually premiere in other countries like Turkey, Mexico, Hong Kong and China.

Scenes from Apprentice