The Fencer

In 1952 a young fencing champion Endel arrives in a small town Haapsalu to work as a physical training teacher. In spite of the opposition of the principal of the school, Endel manages to get a permit to teach fencing for children. Slowly it becomes a therapy for the children as well as the teacher himself – a way to deal with everyday grim. The defeated principal is holding a grudge and starts to investigate, why did the champion of the Soviet Union really come to a small town.

Award, The Bridge - German Cinema Award for Peace (Germany), 2015, Special Prize.
Participation, Arras Film Festival (France), 2015, Audience Award.
Award, PÖFF - Black Nights Film Festival (Tallinn, Estonia), 2015, Tridens Estonian Film Award.
Award, EU Film Festival (Ottawa, Canada), 2015, Audience Choice Award.
Award, JUSSI - Annual Award of Finnish Film Industry (Finland), 2016, Best Film; Best Cinematography: Tuomo Hutri.
Nomination, Golden Globe Awards (USA), 2016, Best Foreign Language Film.
Participation, OSCAR - The Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (USA), 2016, Foreign Language Film - Finland's National Nominee.
Participation, Kyoto Historica International Film Festival (Japan), 2015.
Participation, Cairo International Film Festival (Egipt), 2015.
Participation, Una Finestra sul Nord (Florence, Italy), 2015.
Participation, Cambridge Film Festival (Great Britain), 2015.
Participation, International Film Festival Film by the Sea (Netherland), 2015.
Participation, Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival (Canada), 2015.
Participation, Beirut International Film Festival (Lebanon), 2015.
Participation, Waterloo Historical Film Festival (Brussels, Belgium), 2015.
Participation, MOSTRA - São Paulo International Film Festival (Brazil), 2015.
Participation, Leiden International Film Festival (Netherlands), 2015.
Participation, Northern Film Festival (Leeuwarden, Netherlands), 2015.
Participation, IFFI - International Film Festival of India (Goa, India), 2015.
Participation, Chennai International Film Festival (India), 2015.
Participation, AFI EU Film Showcase (Silver Spring, Washington D.C., USA), 2015.
Participation, Palm Springs International Film Festival (USA), 2016, Opening film.
Participation, Mill Valley Film Festival (California, USA), 2016.
Participation, Nordic Lights Film Festival (Seattle, USA), 2016, Opening film.