The Invisible Fight

The Invisible Fight
Estonian	Nähtamatu võitlus
Directed by	Rainer Sarnet
Screenplay by	Rainer Sarnet
Produced by	Katrin Kissa
Starring	Ursel Tilk Ester Kuntu Indrek Sammul Kaarel Pogga
Cinematography	Mart Taniel
Edited by	Jussi Rautaniemi
Music by	Koshiro Hino
Production company	Homeless Bob Production
Release date	11 August 2023 (2023-08-11) (Locarno)[1]
Running time	115 minutes
Countries	Estonia Latvia Greece Finland
Language	Estonian

The Invisible Fight (Estonian: Nähtamatu võitlus) is a 2023 internationally co-produced action comedy film directed by Rainer Sarnet.[1] Set in the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic during the 1970s, the film stars Ursel Tilk as a would-be kung fu fighter.[2]

At the 2024 Estonian Film and Television Awards, The Invisible Fight won the most prizes of the night, with a total of nine awards including Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Scriptwriter.[3]

Premise

Feeling alienated by conformist Soviet society, heavy metal fan Raphael encounters an underground society of Eastern Orthodox monks who practice kung fu.[2]

Cast

• Ursel Tilk as Raphael
• Ester Kuntu as Rita
• Indrek Sammul as Nafanail
• Kaarel Pogga as Irinei
• Sepa Tom as Melhisedek
• Rain Simmul as Big Hat
• Tiina Tauraite as Marfa
• Mari Abel as Zinaida
• Maria Avdjuško as Mother
• Marika Barabanštšikova as Lady
• Rein Oja as KGB agent
• Ekke Märten Hekles as Rudolf

Production

Katrin Kissa of Homeless Bob Production produced The Invisible Fight, which was co-produced with White Picture, Neda Film, and Helsinki-Filmi.[4]

Release

The Invisible Fight premiered on 11 August 2023 in the Concorso Internazionale section of the 76th Locarno Film Festival.[1] Later that year, the film screened at Fantastic Fest and the Sitges Film Festival.[4] The film was acquired for North American distribution by Kino Lorber.[4][5]

Reception

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 57% of 14 critics' reviews are positive.[6]

Accolades

Award	Ceremony date	Category	Recipient(s)	Result	Ref.
Locarno Film Festival	12 August 2023	Golden Leopard	The Invisible Fight	Nominated	[1]
Estonian Film and Television Awards	12 April 2024	Best Film	The Invisible Fight	Won	[3]
		Best Director	Rainer Sarnet	Nominated	[3]
		Best Scriptwriter		Won	[3]
		Best Actress	Ester Kuntu	Won	[3]
		Best Actor	Ursel Tilk	Won	[3]
		Best Original Music	Koshiro Hino	Won	[3]
		Best Production Design	Jaagup Roomet	Won	[3]
		Best Editing	Jussi Rautaniemi	Won	[3]
		Best Costumes	Jaanus Vahtra	Won	[3]
		Best Make-up	Anu Konze	Won	[3]

References

1. "Nähtamatu võitlus". Locarno Film Festival. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
2. Nicholson, Amy. "'The Invisible Fight' Review: Iron Fist vs. Iron Curtain". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
3. "The Invisible Fight and Smoke Sauna Sisterhood Share Estonian Film Awards for 2023". Film New Europe. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
4. Wiseman, Andreas. "Estonian Heavy Metal Kung-Fu Comedy 'The Invisible Fight' Gets North American Deal, Watch Teaser". Deadline. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
5. "The Invisible Fight". Kino Lorber. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
6. "The Invisible Fight". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 20 August 2024.

External links

• The Invisible Fight at IMDb