Following the struggles of a young Estonian fencer, who flees from the Russian police and heads to his homeland, where his life flips around, when he works as a teacher and helps children to do sport.
Inspiration is the life-affirming theme of this charming story in which a fencer in Soviet occupied Estonia inspires the children he teaches to learn a new skill and face new challenges
I wish I'd known The Fencer was a true story before it began ... It would have made its sentimental and seemingly formulaic story feel much less on the nose.
An affecting portrait of a decent man who risks his life to uphold a bond of trust with his students. Though squarely in the tradition of Dead Poets Society and The Bad News Bears, the film offers higher stakes and, consequently, a bigger payoff.
The historical context does add a unique texture to the familiar trajectory of Anna Heinamaa's sturdy screenplay, as does Tuomo Hutri's wintry photography.
Sydney Morning Herald
November 29, 2016
It's an effective vehicle for exploring the troubled relationship between two countries, and that may be the point, at the expense of accuracy.
This well-acted, smoothly crafted drama tells a story of cross-generational bonding in the face of historical oppression, in touching if unsurprising fashion.