1944 (2015)

In 1944 Estonia, a fratricide war ensues when Estonians of the retreating German forces fight against Estonians conscripted into the advancing Soviet Red Army.

Director:

Elmo Nüganen

Writer:

Leo Kunnas

Stars:

Kaspar Velberg, Kristjan Üksküla, Maiken Pius

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kaspar Velberg	...	Karl Tammik
Kristjan Üksküla	...	Jüri Jõgi
Maiken Pius	...	Aino Tammik (as Maiken Schmidt)
Gert Raudsep	...	Ants 'Saareste'
Hendrik Toompere Jr. Jr.	...	Kristjan 'Põder' (as Hendrik Toompere Jr.)
Karl-Andreas Kalmet	...	Vladimir 'Kamenski'
Henrik Kalmet	...	Voldemar 'Piir'
Pääru Oja	...	Sanitar Elmar 'Säinas'
Priit Strandberg	...	Lembit 'Raadik'
Priit Pius	...	Vennad Käärid
Märt Pius	...	Vennad Käärid
Kristo Viiding	...	Leonhard 'Talu'
Jaak Prints	...	Autojuht Richard Pastak
Magnús Mariuson	...	'Taanlane Carl', Carl Madsen
Mait Malmsten	...	Omavalitsuse tegelane

Storyline

In "1944" Director Elmo Nüganen portrays the real events on the Eastern Front in Estonia in 1944, from the Battle Of Tannenburg Line, the July fighting on the Sinimäed Hills, until November, when the Sorve peninsula was already conquered by the Soviet Army. The war is shown through the eyes of participants in the events on both warring sides - the Estonians who fought on the side of the German Army in the 20th Estonian division Waffen-SS, and as part of the 8th Estonian Rifle Corps of the Soviet Army. For residents of Estonia it was a war in which everyone makes their own choices. It is with such hard choices facing the main characters of the film - the soldiers of the opposing sides Carl Tammik and Urey Jogi - as well as their comrades, relatives, friends and even strangers.

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Plot Keywords:

year 1944 | dead soldier | shot | soviet red army | retreat | 

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Taglines:

The first casualty of war is truth.

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The tanks shown are the T-34/85. In the Soviet Union they are known as the Model 1943

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Quotes

Omavalitsuse tegelane: Heil Hitler!
Kristjan 'Põder': Ei ütle!
[sounds similar to 'Heil Hitler', translates as 'no say']

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Connections

Spoofed in Tujurikkuja (2015)

User Reviews

War will tear us apart... caught in the middle

Impressive film dealing with one of the lesser known battlegrounds in WW2.

The Baltic countries, like other Eastern European nations, were caught between the colossal war machines of the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. These two nations divided the map in secret through the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, and moved to annex their territorial claims at the onset of the war.

At that time, a sizeable part of Estonia's population had strong German ties dating back to the Hanseatic era. Upon the outbreak of the Russian invasion, many of these civilians fled to Germany or neutral Sweden. The able men who stayed were conscripted into the Red Army. When the Nazis broke the truce in 1941 and advanced towards the East, those in Soviet service in turn fled before the Germans, whilst the German Estonians who had left the country in 1940 returned to serve their new (and in their eyes, rightful) occupiers.

The film takes place in 1944, as the Russians return to reclaim the Baltic states on their way to Berlin. Men on both sides of the conflict, once brothers, friends, neighbours, now are forced to fight one another on behalf of foreign forces. There is little glory to this story. Subliminally (and sublimely) it takes a stance against the madness and tragedy of war. Most actions taken by the characters are out of necessity. Nobody is a true protagonist or antagonist. In one scene, the bewilderment and confusion of the civilian population is displayed as well.

Connecting to the characters is not difficult; the actors do a solid job. Nothing too bombastic. The pace of the film adapts well to the amount of information which is shown and processed in any given scene. The settings, costumes, camera work, and music all mesh together nicely.

If you wish to view history from a different perspective than Hollywood's, this film is definitely worth your time.

Details

Country:

Estonia Finland

Language:

Estonian Russian German

Release Date:

4 November 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

1944

Filming Locations:

Sinimäed Hills, Narva-Jõesuu municipality, Ida-Viru County, Estonia

Box Office

Budget:

EUR1,620,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$109,768

Company Credits

Production Co:

Matila Röhr Productions (MRP), Taska Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1