THE FENCER

A recent hit at the Scandinavian Film Festival in Sydney, this film was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2016 Golden Globe and Academy Awards and was awarded Best Film & Cinematography at the Finnish Academy Awards.

The true story centres on Endel Nelis (Mart Avandi) a young man who flees Leningrad, Russia in the early 1950’s to escape Stalin’s secret police and hides in a small Estonian coastal village, teaching fencing skills to schoolchildren. He must soon make a life changing decision – whether to return to Leningrad so the children can participate in a national fencing tournament or stay safe, which would ultimately disappoint the children.

This touching and beautifully scripted story of self-discovery, friendship, honour and life choices has no action or excitement, but successfully manages to captivate audiences through its simplistic and very meaningful human story.

The film boasts extremely high production values with superb performances and a nicely intertwined romantic subplot which showcases the acting prowess of little known Estonian actress Ursula Ratasepp.

History enthusiasts should also be enthralled by the film’s treatment, which details a small European country’s survival under occupation. (MMo)

★★★★