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1944 (film)
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2015 film
the 2015 Estonian film the 2007 Finnish film 1944: The Final Defence the year in film 1944 in film
July 2026
1944 1944 film poster.jpg Film poster Elmo Nüganenhttp://www.taska.ee/ Taska Film 1 August 2017 Maria AvdjuškoIlkka Matila Kristjan RahuKristian Taska Anna Tjurina Leo Kunnashttps://www.facebook.com/Taska.Film.1944/info?tab=page_info Taska Film 1944 on Facebook: Page Info Facebook 1 August 2017 Kaspar VelbergKristjan ÜkskülaMaiken Schmidt Jaak Jürisson Maksim Osadchiy Kimmo TaavilaTambet Tasuja Taska Film Taska FilmMRP Matila Röhr Productions y 2015 02 08 Berlin International Film Festival 2015 02 20 Estonia 2015 08 25 Finland 100 minutes EstoniaFinland EstonianGermanRussian €1,500,000https://variety.com/2015/film/global/eyewell-acquires-epic-war-drama-1944-1201415130/ Elsa Keslassy Eyewell Acquires Epic War Drama '1944' Variety 27 January 2015 1 August 2017 unknown
1944 is a 2015 Estonian war drama film directed by Elmo Nüganen. The film first premiered in February 2015 in Berlin, Germany, before its release in Estoniahttp://news.err.ee/v/Culture/669a6695-b9d3-42db-bd89-737346822618 news.err.ee: Year's most anticipated feature film premieres in Tallinn 1 August 2017 and other northern European countries. It was selected as the Estonian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-estonia-nominates-1944-foreign-822890 Oscars: Estonia Nominates '1944' for Foreign-Language Category Holdsworth Nick The Hollywood Reporter 14 September 2015 1 August 2017
As the Soviet Union advances to recapture Estonia from its German occupiers, with huge losses on both sides, the film explores the mental conflicts of young Estonians who end up meeting on the battlefield to fight against each other. Some have volunteered or been conscripted into the German military, most with little commitment to the Nazi regime. Others have volunteered or been conscripted into the Soviet forces, again with little commitment to the Communist regime. Whichever side wins will regard the Estonians on the opposing side as traitors, liable to execution or deportation. Neither side offers the Estonians autonomy from foreign control.
Plot
The film opens in July 1944 on the Tannenberg Line in Estonia, where a unit of Estonian Waffen-SS soldiers are fighting the advancing Red Army. A visit by a Nazi official, who hands out signed photographs of Hitler, attracts ridicule. The Soviet forces are superior in numbers of tanks and infantry and the German forces have to retreat through streams of civilian refugees. After a ferocious battle, the victors are a Red Army Estonian unit.
As they bury the dead of both sides in a mass grave, an Estonian in the Red Army called Jüri searches the body of an Estonian in the German forces called Karl and finds an unposted letter to Karl's sister Aino in Tallinn. When the Soviets capture the city, he delivers the letter in person and he and Aino become friendly, which incurs the enmity of his unit's political officer. Back fighting on the Sõrve Peninsula during the Moonsund operation in November, Jüri's unit captures a group of sixteen-year-old Estonian boys in German uniform. The political officer orders Jüri to kill them all and, when he questions the decision, shoots Jüri dead. The officer himself is executed by one of Jüri's comrades seconds later. On Jüri's body, a comrade finds an unposted letter to Aino which he, when he has a spell of leave, delivers in person.
Cast
Kaspar Velberg as Sturmmann Karl Tammik
Kristjan Üksküla as Senior sergeant Jüri Jõgi
Maiken Schmidt as Aino Tammik
Gert Raudsep as Oberscharführer Ants Saareste
Ain Mäeots as Captain Evald Viires
Peeter Tammearu as a Partorg (Communist Party official)
Märt Pius and Priit Pius as the Käär Brothers
Hendrik Toompere Jr. Jr. as Rottenführer Kristjan Põder
Kristjan Sarv as Abram Joffe
Rain Simmul as Prohhor Sedõhh
Martin Mill as Alfred Tuul
Ivo Uukkivi as Rudolf Kask
Marko Leht as Valter Hein
Mait Malmsten as Government figure
Magnús Mariuson as The Dane Carl
Pääru Oja as Oberschütze (Sanitar) Elmar Säinas
Külli Teetamm as Mother with children
Kristo Viiding as Leonhard Talu
Karl-Andreas Kalmet as Vladimir Kamenski
Henrik Kalmet as Voldemar Piir
Priit Loog as Paul Mets
Priit Strandberg as Lembit Raadik
Andero Ermel as Oskar Lepik
Jaak Prints as Richard Pastak
Tõnu Oja as Omakaitse lieutenant
Anne Reemann as Omakaitse female fighter
Anne Margiste as Farm woman
Production
The first part of filming took place from October 2013 till the Easter break of 2014. It then continued at the start of the summer of 2014 where filming also took place at the Sinimäed Hills.http://www.ohtuleht.ee/537579/elmo-nuganen-oma-uuest-filmist-1944-on-orn-teema Elmo Nüganen's new film, "1944" is a delicate topic 1 August 2017
The film was funded by the Estonian Film Institute, the Estonian Ministry of Defence, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia and private investments.http://www.filmneweurope.com/press-releases/item/110041-record-opening-week-for-1944 Record Opening Week for "1944"! 1 August 2017
Overall 4 original soviet T-34 tanks in running condition were used during the production. One was borrowed from Finland war museum, two from private museums in Finland. The 4th tank was borrowed from Eesti vabadusvõitluse muuseum/Estonian freedom fighting museum. Eagle-eyed viewers can spot, based on the shape of one tank's wheels, that it was made either in 1945 or 1946, when wheel shape got slightly modified compared to the original design.
For battle scenes, three additional tank props were used which were blown up during filming.
Reception
On the film aggregation website IMDb, 1944 has a weighted average score of 7.5/10, based on votes from 1,005 users.https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3213684/ratings?ref_=tt_ov_rt 1944 Ratings IMDb 1 August 2017
The film has been banned in the Russian Federation.http://elu24.postimees.ee/4176913/maailma-suurima-poeketi-lettidele-jouab-muugile-eesti-sojafilm Maailma suurima poeketi lettidele jõuab müügile Eesti sõjafilm Estonian 1 August 2017
Box office
In Estonia, 1944 was a huge box office success. With local opening weekend admissions at 19,030, 1944 set a new opening weekend record for an Estonian film, beating the previous record of 15,611 admissions set by Names in Marble in 2002.http://www.filmneweurope.com/news/estonia-news/item/110022-1944-sets-an-all-time-opening-record-in-estonia 1944 Sets an All-time Opening Record in Estonia 1 August 2017 1944's first week also broke records by achieving 44,879 admissions, the highest ever for an Estonian film that premiered in Estonia.http://www.filmneweurope.com/press-releases/item/110041-record-opening-week-for-1944 Record Opening Week for "1944" 1 August 2017
See also
List of submissions to the 88th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
List of Estonian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
2
External links
3213684 1944
Category:2015 war drama films
Category:2015 films
Category:Estonian war drama films
Category:2010s Estonian-language films
Category:Films about the Eastern Front (World War II)
Category:Films set in 1944
Category:Films directed by Elmo Nüganen
Category:World War II films based on actual events
Category:Baltic states World War II films
Category:War drama films based on actual events
Category:2010s Estonian films