The trailer for the indie movie "The Fencer" was released two days ago. Directed by Klaus Härö and written by Anna Heinämaa, the movie is based on real-life events. "The Fencer" is due to be released in theaters come July 21 in 2017.
A man on the run from the secret police
"The Fencer" follows the story of Endel Nelis in the 1950's. Endel, played by Märt Avandim, flees Leningrad on the run from the secret police. He arrives in Estonia where he becomes a teacher. The foundation of the movie follows Endel's efforts to create a sports club for the children in the school.
The children soon come to love Endel and view him as a father figure much to the chagrin of the school's principal. Jealous of Endel's ability to connect with the children, the principal begins to look into his background and discovers the secrets of Endel's life.
In a sad twist, most of the children at the school are orphans. This is because of the Russian occupation. As Endel shares his love of fencing with the children, he becomes attached to them. He realizes the children view him as a father figure and he embraces this. When the opportunity arrives to take the children to a fencing tournament in Leningrad, from where he fled, Endel must make the decision to live up to the orphan's ideas of him or to look after himself.
Why you should watch 'The Fencer'
"The Fencer" is a story of a man who finds meaning through his work with the children at the school. It is a story of love and drama as Endel falls in love with both the children and teaching colleague Kadri, played by Ursurla Ratasepp. The movie maintains the air of mystery as the audience is left wondering, what did Endel do to have to flee from the secret police?
The sport of fencing features heavily in this movie and it becomes a way for both Endel and the children to express themselves. The mixture of drama, sport, romance, and tension leads to a beautifully crafted movie about love and sacrifice. Knowing that there is no one else to make the orphans dreams come true, will Endel sacrifice his life for them?
"The Fencer" follows lost people finding purpose again and forming connections that have the power to make or break their lives.
"The Fencer" is 98 minutes in total and has already won Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. The film is in Finnish and English subtitles will be available for the English audience. "The Fencer" is set to be one of the best Indie movies of 2017.
