1944 (film)

1944
Film poster
Directed byElmo Nüganen[1]
Written byLeo Kunnas[2]
Produced byMaria Avdjuško
Ilkka Matila
Kristjan Rahu
Kristian Taska
Anna Tjurina
StarringKaspar Velberg
Kristjan Üksküla
Maiken Schmidt
CinematographyMaksim Osadchiy
Edited byKimmo Taavila
Tambet Tasuja
Music byJaak Jürisson
Production
company
Distributed byTaska Film
MRP Matila Röhr Productions
Release dates
  • 8 February 2015 (2015-02-08) (Berlin International Film Festival)
  • 20 February 2015 (2015-02-20) (Estonia)
  • 25 August 2015 (2015-08-25) (Finland)
Running time
100 minutes
CountriesEstonia
Finland
LanguagesEstonian
German
Russian
Budget€1,500,000[3]
Box officeunknown

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 Estonia[4] 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.[5]

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.

  1. ^ "Taska Film". Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Taska Film 1944 on Facebook: Page Info". Facebook. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  3. ^ Elsa Keslassy (27 January 2015). "Eyewell Acquires Epic War Drama '1944'". Variety. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  4. ^ "news.err.ee: Year's most anticipated feature film premieres in Tallinn". Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  5. ^ Holdsworth, Nick (14 September 2015). "Oscars: Estonia Nominates '1944' for Foreign-Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 August 2017.