The Fencer

The Fencer (original title Miekkailija), directed by Klaus Härö as a Finnish-Estonian-German co-production, is a drama set in 1950s Soviet occupied Estonia, following a teacher, Endel Nelis, who flees to a small town under suspicion from the KGB and starts a fencing club there. The film is loosely based on the life of Endel Nelis, a real Estonian fencer and coach. It was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes; it made the Oscar shortlist as Finland's submission but didn't reach the final nomination. The film holds an 85 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and 60 on Metacritic. Who it's for: anyone curious about a Golden Globe nominated drama loosely inspired by a real coach who gave young people hope by starting a fencing club under Soviet occupation. Who it's not for: viewers looking for a strict documentary style biography, since the film is only loosely based on the real person's life.