Miekkailija (The Fencer)
2015
***
Director: Klaus Härö
Cast: Märt Avandi, Ursula Ratasepp, Hendrik Toompere, Liisa Koppel, Joonas Koff, Lembit Ulfsak, Piret Kalda, Egert Kadastu, Ann-Lisett Rebane, Elbe Reiter, Jaak Prints, Kirill Käro
In the early 1950s, Endel Nelis escapes the clutches of the KGB and arrives in the small town of Haapsalu in Estonia. He takes a job as a teacher and ends up running a fencing club for the children, but how long will he be able to remain incognito? Although Anna Heinämaa's script is based on a real person, her version of Endel's story loses impact by relying on too many formulaic tropes. However, the performances are good and Tuomo Hutri's cinematography is wonderfully atmospheric.
