1944

1944 is an Estonian war drama set during World War II, as fighting reaches Estonian soil. The story follows Estonian soldiers who end up on opposite sides of the front, some serving with the German forces and others with the Soviet army, and who find themselves fighting people they know. The film moves from the summer battles in the Blue Hills to the Sõrve Peninsula, and looks at the choices forced on the soldiers and on those close to them. Among the central figures are Karl Tammik and Jüri Jõgi, whose paths cross amid the wider conflict.

The film was directed by Elmo Nüganen, and it was his first feature, arriving years before his later film Melchior the Apothecary. Leo Kunnas wrote the screenplay, and the producers were Ilkka Matila and Kristian Taska. It is a Finnish-Estonian co-production made for about 2 million dollars, with a cast led by Kaspar Velberg, Kristjan Üksküla, Maiken Pius, Gert Raudsep, Hendrik Toompere Jr. Jr. and Karl-Andreas Kalmet. Around 42 cast members and 115 crew were credited, giving the production a large ensemble for its scale.

Released in 2015, the film runs 100 minutes. On TMDB it holds a rating of 6.9 out of 10 from roughly 119 votes.