In the 1950s post Second World War Soviet Union a young Estonian Fencer is on the run from the Russian Secret Police. In order to lie low, he decides to return to his motherland and he proceeds to take up the job of a physical education teacher at a small school in his town. Amidst budget cuts & diminishing morale he decides to teach the young kids fencing!

Language:
Estonian
Running Time:
93 min
Rating:
–
Release date:
13 March 2015
Directed by:
Klaus Härö
Produced by:
Kai Nordberg
Kaarle Aho
Written by:
Anna Heinämaa
Starring:
Märt Avandi
Ursula Ratasepp
Hendrik Toompere
Music by:
Gert Wilden Jr
Shot by:
Tuomo Hutri
Editing by:
Tambet Tasuja
Ueli Christen
Distributed by:
–

What’s Hot

  • The biggest strength for the film is its accessibility in spite of the grim political backdrop. It has almost all the elements that typifies a mainstream Hollywood sports drama yet is heartwarming due to the sincerity with which it treats the subject & all the characters from adults to children.
  • While it might have been normal to take a stand with respect to the situation in the protagonist’s land there is never any time wasted on lamentation. Instead, the full focus is on improving the mood of the children giving them something positive to do and not preparing them for the ‘Ultimate’ contest which most sport-based films end up doing.
  • More than the acting by the young fencer, Märt Avandi whose transformation as an effective teacher follows a very well designed arc, it is the kids each endowed with different characteristics that liven up the proceedings especially Joonas Koof as Jaan and Liisa Koppel as the wily little Marta. The typical underdog overcoming the odds theme suits the unassuming kids very well.
  • In a sport-based film such as this the editing plays a primary role in conveying how quick the sport actually is and how immersive the experience of the sport is for the viewer. On both counts one can say that the editors, Tambet Tasuja & Ueli Christen have done exceedingly well

What’s Not

  • One grouse with this film is that there is nothing starkly different about the way the plot moves in spite of the relatively fresh sport on which the movie is based. This does not mean the movie is unwatchable but just that it is very predictable for the most part.
  • The characterization of the protagonist Endel’s lady love, named Kadri, played by Ursula Ratasepp is a downer as she has very little purpose in the entire scheme of things. The whole love-angle in itself sticks out without blending in organically into the screenplay

Badges

Screenplay
Editing
Acting

Screened at

The Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) 2015

The Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) 2015 scheduled from Jan 6 -13, 2016 is an annual film festival organised by a film society, the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), with the support of the government of Tamil Nadu, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce and the Film Federation of India.

Event Info

Date of Screening : 09-Jan-2016
Venue and Time : Casino, 4.45 PM

About

Verdict

Verdict Stamp

The Fencer is successful in engaging the audience not because of the sport being played but due to the way it positions sport as a healer, a confidence-builder and essentially as a tool to empower the diffident.