The Fencer (2015)

Fleeing from the Russian secret police, a young Estonian fencer is forced to return to his homeland, where he becomes a physical education teacher at a local school. The past however catches up and puts him in front of a difficult choice.

Director:

Klaus Härö

Writer:

Anna Heinämaa

Stars:

Märt Avandi, Ursula Ratasepp, Hendrik Toompere Sr.

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Märt Avandi	...	Endel Nelis
Ursula Ratasepp	...	Kadri
Hendrik Toompere Sr.	...	Principal (as Hendrik Toompere)
Liisa Koppel	...	Marta
Joonas Koff	...	Jaan
Egert Kadastu	...	Toomas
Ann-Lisett Rebane	...	Lea
Elbe Reiter	...	Tiiu
Jaak Prints	...	Principal's assistant
Kirill Käro	...	Aleksei
Lembit Ulfsak	...	Jaan's grandfather
Leida Rammo	...	Boarding house's hostess
Raimo Pass	...	Officer
Erkki Tikkan	...	Officer
Maria Avdjushko	...	Clerk in Leningrad

Storyline

Fleeing from the Russian secret police because of his controversial past, a young Estonian fencer named Endel is forced to return to his homeland, where he begins to train a group of young children in the art of fencing. The past however catches up with him and Endel has to choose between letting his students down or putting his life in danger. The movie is partially based on the real life story of an Estonian fencer Endel Nelis (1925-1993).

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Plot Keywords:

estonia | soviet union | 1950s | post war | fencing instructor | 

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Taglines:

Based on extraordinary true events.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Sport

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Finnish candidate for the best foreign language film in 2016 Academy Awards.

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Goofs

Endel Nelis arrived in Haapsalu in 1950, not in 1952, and he started teaching in the 1st High School, not in the 2nd.

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Connections

Referenced in La noche de...: La noche de... La clase de esgrima (2019)

User Reviews

Slow paced, poignant, captivating, well-acted gem

I came across this gem by accident. A friend gave me several movies and I only just found this one 8 months later. I found this movie extremely touching. The pace was slow but I found that this accentuated the underlying emotions and I was captivated from start to finish. I have certainly seen other movies with this basic plot but this movie stood out because the performances were deep and poignant. I like many Hollywood movies but this was noticeably different: At once simpler -- with less "action" and less dialogue and less "spelling everything out" and maybe at the same time more complex because of what was portrayed in a look or a silence. Glad I watched this.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Finland Estonia Germany

Language:

Estonian Russian Armenian

Release Date:

21 July 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Fencer

Filming Locations:

Haapsalu, Estonia

Box Office

Budget:

EUR1,605,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,572, 23 July 2017

Gross USA:

$95,952

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,289,014

Company Credits

Production Co:

Making Movies Oy, Allfilm, Kick Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1