There’s a movie about fencing that’s an Oscar contender! The Fencer movie is a Finnish film that has been selected as an entry for the 88th Annual Academy Awards which will be held in 2016. This is obviously very exciting for the fencing community, and the movie portrays modern fencing and all of the benefits and amazing richness that it brings to our lives.
Your Support is Needed!
You can help to support the film! While it has already been added to the list of potential Oscar nominees as the official entry from Finland (a huge honor), it has not made it to the final selection portion of the process yet. So it’s essential for us to help out and to support its nomination!
Getting a movie to the Oscars doesn’t just happen – it takes a great deal of money (surprise!), because after all this is Hollywood. However this beautiful film is an independent production that wasn’t backed by one of those big studios, so in order to promote itself with Oscar voters and to get on the nomination list, they need our help! You can support the campaign with a 5 euro minimum donation on their Indiegogo page. You won’t just be sending them your money though – you’ll get some really cool things in return like a copy of the movie or a digital download of the soundtrack or even props from the movie. More details when you click the link, including what exactly the money is used for.
Synopsis of the Film
In the early 1950’s, a young man named Endel Nelis, arrives in Haapsalu, Estonia, after having left Leningrad to escape from the secret police. He is able to find work as a teacher, where he founds a sports club for a students, a place to to share his great passion for fencing.
The principal of the school doesn’t approve of the fencing club, and begins to look into Endel’s background. However fencing forges a strong bond between Endel and his students, becoming a form of self expression for the students and solidifying his role as a father figure in their lives. Many of the children are orphans thanks to the political situation in the country, and both fencing and Endel become a central part of their healing and rebuilding.
The drama in the film comes when the children have the chance to compete in a national fencing tournament in Leningrad. Endel is forced to make a choice – does he risk everything to take them to this life changing event, or play it safe and stay where he is while dashing their dreams?
The film is beautifully shot and full of lots of great fencing – bringing fencing to a whole new group of people who see it!
AFM Screening of The Fencer movie
Academy of Fencing Masters is proud to support this film about the positive impact that fencing has on people through hard times. In that support we are organizing a screening of the film for our fencers!
It’s a great thing to help promote fencing in the world, showing all of the wonderful things that fencing can bring to people. How amazing would it be to see fencing at the Academy Awards!
We are so inspired by this heartfelt and heartwarming movie. The Fencer movie is a fantastic representation of what fencing brings to the lives of both children and adults, as well as how competition can bring us together in amazing ways.
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