South African production Shepherds and Butchers gets its London premiere at Hackney Picturehouse, starring Steve Coogan as hotshot lawyer John Weber.

South Africa, 1987. When Leon, a white 19-year-old prison guard commits an inexplicable act of violence, killing seven black men in a hail of bullets, the outcome of the trial - and the court’s sentence - seems a foregone conclusion. Hotshot lawyer John Weber reluctantly takes on the seemingly unwinnable case.

A passionate opponent of the death penalty, John discovers that young Leon worked on death row in the nation’s most notorious prison, under traumatic conditions: befriending the inmates over the years while having to assist their eventual execution.

As the court hearings progress, the case offers John the opportunity to put the entire system of legally sanctioned murder on trial. How can one man take such a dual role of friend and executioner, becoming both shepherd and butcher? Inspired by true events, this is the story that puts death penalty on trial and changes history.

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COMPETITION: Win 1x pair of tickets to attend East End Film Festival’s screening on Shepherds and Butchers at Hackney Picturehouse on 29th June at 7pm. To enter the competition, send an email to ava@run-riot.com with the correct answer in the ‘subject’ line. The winner will be randomly selected.

Q: The Steve Coogan-starring film is based on a novel by former South African defence lawyer, Chris Marnewick, dealing with the moral and ethical issues with capital punishment. In 1965, American writer Truman Capote published a book exploring similar themes, following the murder of four members of the Herbert Clutter family. What was it called?

A: .1) Other Voices, Other Rooms .2) Breakfast at Tiffany’s .3) In Cold Blood .4) Answered Prayers