Groovy New Trailer for ‘The Invisible Fight’ – Kung Fu Monks Comedy
by Alex Billington
January 29, 2024
Source: YouTube
“I’m going to be a monk.” Kino Lorber has unveiled their official US trailer for the Estonian film known as The Invisible Fight, a martial arts comedy made by Estonian filmmaker Rainer Sarnet (also of the cult hit November). This is finally set to open in US theaters in February, starting at the Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan, with more cities to follow throughout March. It premiered at Locarno and played at Fantastic Fest and Sitges (where I caught up with it). The Invisible Fight is described as a satirical take on the martial arts film, artfully paying tribute to the genre’s Chinese wuxia roots. Set in the 1970s, it’s about an Estonian guard on the Soviet-Chinese border who, after surviving and watching a deadly attack, decides to become a monk but must continually prove along the way that he’s capable of becoming the enlightened man that he set out to be. Starring Ursel Tilk as Rafael and Ester Kuntu, Kaarel Pogga, Indrek Sammul, Taimo Kõrvemaa. I reviewed this last year: “A compliment to say it’s the kind of genre gem we used to discover on VHS then laugh forever at while munching on pizza.” If this looks like your jam, keep an eye out for it. 🤘
Here’s the official US trailer (+ new poster) for Rainer Sarnet’s The Invisible Fight, direct from YouTube:
You can rewatch the international trailer for Rainer Sarnet’s The Invisible Fight right here for more footage.
USSR-China border, 1973: The young soldier Rafael is on guard duty when the border falls under attack from flying Chinese kung fu warriors, leaving him the sole survivor. Utterly fascinated by the long-haired martial artists who easily dispatched his fellow guards, all while blasting forbidden Black Sabbath music from their portable radio, Rafael is struck by a revelation: he too wants to be a kung fu warrior. Looking for mentorship with few options, faith leads Rafael to seek martial arts teachers at one of the unlikeliest places: the local Eastern Orthodox monastery, where monks begin his training. With a skeptical mother, a rival monk, and a budding love interest pulling him in different directions, he finds his journey to unlock the greatest martial art of all – the almighty power of humility – is long and full of kick-ass adventures…
The Invisible Fight, originally known as Nähtamatu Võitlus in Estonian, is both written and directed by the talented Estonian writer / filmmaker Rainer Sarnet, director of the films Tabamata Ime, Where Souls Go, The Idiot, November, as well as the TV series The Bank, and the doc The Diary of Vaino Vahing previously. Produced by Katrin Kissa, executive produced by Rain Rannu, Hiroko Oda, Mami Akari, and Yohann Comte. This initially premiered at the 2023 Locarno Film Festival, with extra stops at Fantastic Fest and Sitges last year. It’s set to open first in Estonia in December 2023. Kino Lorber will debut Sarnet’s The Invisible Fight in select US theaters starting on February 23rd, 2024 coming soon. Don’t miss catching this in theaters.
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