The Fencer
| The Fencer | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Klaus Härö |
| Written by | Anna Heinämaa |
| Produced by | Kai Nordberg, Kaarle Aho |
| Starring | Märt Avandi, Ursula Ratasepp, Hendrik Toompere |
| Cinematography | Tuomo Hutri |
| Edited by | Tambet Tasuja, Ueli Christen |
| Music by | Gert Wilden Jr |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Countries | Finland Estonia Germany |
| Languages | Estonian Russian |
| Budget | 2 million euro |
The Fencer (Finnish: Miekkailija, Estonian: Vehkleja)[1] is a 2015 internationally co-produced drama film based on the true story of Endel Nelis, an Estonian fencer and coach. It was directed by Klaus Härö and written by Anna Heinämaa. Filming began in Estonia in late February 2014. It was selected as the Finnish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards.[2][3]
Plot
A young man, Endel Nelis, arrives in Haapsalu, Estonia, in the early 1950s, having left Leningrad to escape the secret police. He finds work as a teacher and founds a sports club for his students, where he starts teaching them his great passion – fencing. Disapproving, the school's principal starts investigating Endel’s background.
Fencing becomes a form of self-expression for the children, and Endel becomes a role model and father figure. He learns to love the children, many of whom have been orphaned as a result of the Russian occupation. When the children want to participate in a national fencing tournament in Leningrad, Endel must make a choice; risk everything to take the children to Leningrad or put his safety first and disappoint them.
Cast
See also
- List of submissions to the 88th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Finnish submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
- ^ Hepner, Juhan (25 February 2014). "Nelise-filmi esimene võttepäev Haapsalus". Lääne Elu. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ "Klaus Härös Fäktaren är Finlands Oscarkandidat". HBL. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ Holdsworth, Nick (1 September 2015). "Oscars: Finland Selects 'The Fencer' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
External links
- The Fencer at IMDb
- The Fencer review at Variety
 | This article related to an Estonian film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This article related to Finnish film is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |