Jaak Kilmi

Directing

Jaak Kilmi

Born

1973-10-23 (52)

Place of birth

Tallinn, Estonian SSR, USSR [now Harju County, Estonia]

Known for

Directing

Credits

44 titles

Jaak Kilmi (born October 23, 1973 in Tallinn) is an Estonian film director, screenwriter and producer. In 1998 he graduated from Tallinn Pedagogical University's film school. Since 2001, Kilmi has been teaching documentary studies to scenography students at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Known for

The Sleeping Beast poster
6.0

A gang of five children spend their summer in an abandoned factory complex. When they are forbidden to go there by the factory owner for safety reasons, the children decide to ignore the ban. This decision changes their lives forever and the friends face a grim confrontation.

The Sleeping Beast

2022

The Shadow poster
6.3

Juhan Liiv, a struggling poet and an unlikely detective, solves gruesome murder cases in Estonia, the Wild West of the crumbling Russian Empire in the 1890s. Investigations take him to miserable dwellings of the local Estonian peasants, luxurious castles of German nobility that have sworn allegiance to the Czar, and to the depths of ancient forests where witchcraft is still practiced. Juhan is fighting crime and his own inner demons. He is considered mad and pronounced crazy. But by standing for justice and truth, at the end of the day, he is the sanest of them all.

The Shadow

2024

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Target

—

Suur õde poster
NR

The film portrays five different Estonian female politicians: Minister of Culture Signe Kivi, businesswoman Terje Aru, former Miss Estonia Kristiina Heinmets, strike movement leader Kadi Pärnits, and the grand old lady of Estonian women's politics, Marju Lauristin. All of them have been in the media spotlight, and many have fallen victim to it due to their openness. How can a woman assert herself in a post-communist society? What opportunities do women have to succeed in politics within a traditionally patriarchal system? Through the actions of these five protagonists, the hidden world of Estonian politics unfolds—both in its glamour and its horror.

Suur õde

2000

The Art of Selling poster
5.7

Is everything in life a matter of how you sell yourself? Can Evelin's motto "manipulate and be manipulated" lead everyone to happiness? And does the church really sell God?

The Art of Selling

2006

Beauty of Fatherland poster
NR

The documentary observes two matriarchs - Tiina Jantson governs the beauty contest empire in Estonia; Anne Eenpanu leads the activities of "Home Daughters" - a girls' corps of Estonian Defence League. The film's main characters and their activities are very different. Whereas Anne's pedagogical approach is almost totally based on the love for fatherland then Tiina spends her days in the glitter of show business. However, there are some similiarities in their lives. The documentary studies the values, gender roles and moral norms in Estonia at the beginning of 21st century.

Beauty of Fatherland

2001

Film credits

2000s · 2 titles

Behind the camera

The Sleeping Beast poster
6.0

A gang of five children spend their summer in an abandoned factory complex. When they are forbidden to go there by the factory owner for safety reasons, the children decide to ignore the ban. This decision changes their lives forever and the friends face a grim confrontation.

The Sleeping Beast

2022

The Shadow poster
6.3

Juhan Liiv, a struggling poet and an unlikely detective, solves gruesome murder cases in Estonia, the Wild West of the crumbling Russian Empire in the 1890s. Investigations take him to miserable dwellings of the local Estonian peasants, luxurious castles of German nobility that have sworn allegiance to the Czar, and to the depths of ancient forests where witchcraft is still practiced. Juhan is fighting crime and his own inner demons. He is considered mad and pronounced crazy. But by standing for justice and truth, at the end of the day, he is the sanest of them all.

The Shadow

2024

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Target

—

Suur õde poster
NR

The film portrays five different Estonian female politicians: Minister of Culture Signe Kivi, businesswoman Terje Aru, former Miss Estonia Kristiina Heinmets, strike movement leader Kadi Pärnits, and the grand old lady of Estonian women's politics, Marju Lauristin. All of them have been in the media spotlight, and many have fallen victim to it due to their openness. How can a woman assert herself in a post-communist society? What opportunities do women have to succeed in politics within a traditionally patriarchal system? Through the actions of these five protagonists, the hidden world of Estonian politics unfolds—both in its glamour and its horror.

Suur õde

2000

Suur õde poster
NR

The film portrays five different Estonian female politicians: Minister of Culture Signe Kivi, businesswoman Terje Aru, former Miss Estonia Kristiina Heinmets, strike movement leader Kadi Pärnits, and the grand old lady of Estonian women's politics, Marju Lauristin. All of them have been in the media spotlight, and many have fallen victim to it due to their openness. How can a woman assert herself in a post-communist society? What opportunities do women have to succeed in politics within a traditionally patriarchal system? Through the actions of these five protagonists, the hidden world of Estonian politics unfolds—both in its glamour and its horror.

Suur õde

2000

The Art of Selling poster
5.7

Is everything in life a matter of how you sell yourself? Can Evelin's motto "manipulate and be manipulated" lead everyone to happiness? And does the church really sell God?

The Art of Selling

2006

Beauty of Fatherland poster
NR

The documentary observes two matriarchs - Tiina Jantson governs the beauty contest empire in Estonia; Anne Eenpanu leads the activities of "Home Daughters" - a girls' corps of Estonian Defence League. The film's main characters and their activities are very different. Whereas Anne's pedagogical approach is almost totally based on the love for fatherland then Tiina spends her days in the glitter of show business. However, there are some similiarities in their lives. The documentary studies the values, gender roles and moral norms in Estonia at the beginning of 21st century.

Beauty of Fatherland

2001

Beauty of Fatherland poster
NR

The documentary observes two matriarchs - Tiina Jantson governs the beauty contest empire in Estonia; Anne Eenpanu leads the activities of "Home Daughters" - a girls' corps of Estonian Defence League. The film's main characters and their activities are very different. Whereas Anne's pedagogical approach is almost totally based on the love for fatherland then Tiina spends her days in the glitter of show business. However, there are some similiarities in their lives. The documentary studies the values, gender roles and moral norms in Estonia at the beginning of 21st century.

Beauty of Fatherland

2001

That's IT! poster
NR

It's December and Christmastime, but outside the summer sun blazes. Something is wrong! The Mayan calendar predicts that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Every Estonian has to decide how they will spend their last days. Rait finally wants to confess his feelings to his lifelong love, the starlet Lenna Kuurmaa. His friend Mihkel, hits his head, goes bonkers, and needs to save the world by sacrificing that very same Lenna to the Sun Gods. Brenda wants to escape her dictatorial mother but insane asylum orderlies chase her. Ervin wins the world's last lottery and is so upset by not having any way to spend it that he wants to die from misery. Confusion reigns, but hope always dies last... And, fortunately, the end finally comes.

That's IT!

2011

Ta-ram, ta-ram poster
9.0

Nighttime at the tram depot. A closed tram car, from which a young businessman who fell asleep on the tram finds himself waking up. However, he is not alone...

Ta-ram, ta-ram

1995

Ta-ram, ta-ram poster
9.0

Nighttime at the tram depot. A closed tram car, from which a young businessman who fell asleep on the tram finds himself waking up. However, he is not alone...

Ta-ram, ta-ram

1995

Touched by the Unknown poster
6.0

Mati is an assistant in TV studio. Patiently he has waited for his time to become a TV star but seems that he has to wait forever. One day an alien called Tipp is sent on Earth (by its chief Tapp) to find out the purpose of Estonian children's TV show "Tipp and Tapp". Tipp nestles himself inside Mati's brains that leads the man to unpredictable actions.

Touched by the Unknown

2005

No artwork available
NR

“Let’s Do It!” is a story about how a national cleanup campaign in a small European country grew into an ambitious global environmental movement. The idea spread far and wide, bringing about new wave of civic activism in many countries. However, even good initiatives can hit rough spots. The important thing is not to lose hope. This documentary captures the passion to change the world over the course of 10 years, culminating in World Clean-Up Day in 2018. The movie also showcases how grass-root initiatives can grow and subside and how some ambitions can be defeated only to give rise to even more ambitious ones.

Let's Do It!

2022

The Revolution That Wasn't poster
10.0

With capitalism and corruption becoming more entrenched in Russia, a father and his teenage son gear up for a yearlong political campaign to unseat President Putin in the 2008 elections and shift the country back toward socialism. Aliona Polunina's thoughtful documentary follows Anatoly and Andrei in their struggle to recreate a revolutionary fervor in a society that seems to be embracing the materialist values of the West.

The Revolution That Wasn't

2009

Disco and Atomic War poster
5.4

A different history of the Cold War: how Estonians under Soviet tyranny began to feel the breeze of freedom when a group of anonymous dreamers successfully used improbable methods to capture the Finnish television signal, a window into Western popular culture, brave but harmless warriors who helped change the fate of an entire nation.

Disco and Atomic War

2009

Disco and Atomic War poster
5.4

A different history of the Cold War: how Estonians under Soviet tyranny began to feel the breeze of freedom when a group of anonymous dreamers successfully used improbable methods to capture the Finnish television signal, a window into Western popular culture, brave but harmless warriors who helped change the fate of an entire nation.

Disco and Atomic War

2009

Nazis and Blondes poster
6.0

Veteran actors from the 3 Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - gather at a castle in Latvia to receive awards for their roles as Nazi villains in propagandist Soviet war films. They reminisce about the films that made them famous throughout the USSR, but also stigmatized the Baltic countries as Nazi sympathizers in the eyes of many Russians - a misconception that is nowadays exploited by the Russian media, desperate to label the Baltic countries as a fascist haven.

Nazis and Blondes

2008

Nazis and Blondes poster
6.0

Veteran actors from the 3 Baltic countries - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - gather at a castle in Latvia to receive awards for their roles as Nazi villains in propagandist Soviet war films. They reminisce about the films that made them famous throughout the USSR, but also stigmatized the Baltic countries as Nazi sympathizers in the eyes of many Russians - a misconception that is nowadays exploited by the Russian media, desperate to label the Baltic countries as a fascist haven.

Nazis and Blondes

2008

No artwork available
NR

A study film commissioned by Estonia's National Institute for Health Development outlining the negative effects of drug use.

Subject of Thought

2012

No artwork available
NR

A study film commissioned by Estonia's National Institute for Health Development outlining the negative effects of drug use.

Subject of Thought

2012

My Father, the Spy poster
5.0

As a young Soviet student in 1978, Ieva could not have predicted that a holiday visit to her father, Imants Lesinskis, then working in the Soviet mission at the United Nations in New York City, would irreversibly split her life in two. Entangled in a dark spy game, Ieva is forced to leave her former life behind, never to see her mother or her homeland of Latvia again. Pulling back the curtain on the shady behind-the-scenes world of the Cold War, this film tells a daughter's dramatic story of her double-agent father, exploring their relationship against the backdrop of events which have their roots over four decades ago. In order to find herself and understand the game she was part of, Ieva sets out on a journey to the past, confronting family secrets, lies and betrayal.

My Father, the Spy

2019

My Father, the Spy poster
5.0

As a young Soviet student in 1978, Ieva could not have predicted that a holiday visit to her father, Imants Lesinskis, then working in the Soviet mission at the United Nations in New York City, would irreversibly split her life in two. Entangled in a dark spy game, Ieva is forced to leave her former life behind, never to see her mother or her homeland of Latvia again. Pulling back the curtain on the shady behind-the-scenes world of the Cold War, this film tells a daughter's dramatic story of her double-agent father, exploring their relationship against the backdrop of events which have their roots over four decades ago. In order to find herself and understand the game she was part of, Ieva sets out on a journey to the past, confronting family secrets, lies and betrayal.

My Father, the Spy

2019

FRESH BLOOD: Own and Stranger poster
NR

Six fresh short films on the topic "Own and Stranger" from even more fresh Estonian directors.

FRESH BLOOD: Own and Stranger

2018

Karl and Carla poster
NR

Karl and Carla is set in an ironic dystopia from the near future, where adult relationships and interactions are regulated and controlled by the government’s ‘Happiness Institute’.

Karl and Carla

2020

A Living Force poster
NR

Documentary about man's place in society based on life of Georg, Peeter, Arto.

A Living Force

2003

A Living Force poster
NR

Documentary about man's place in society based on life of Georg, Peeter, Arto.

A Living Force

2003

The Human Camera poster
NR

Rainer and Anna's life together is falling apart. The desperate young man begins to record their life together with a small video camera, which turns into a morbid tool for the young man's self-exploration.

The Human Camera

1999

Badass Merike poster
NR

Merike is the trainer and soul of Tobra stables. She was born with one hand, but this is only part of the external description, insignificant to her. As a coach, Merike's first goal is to teach children humanity and caring.

Badass Merike

2024

No artwork available
NR

Underwater Flights is comprised of ten film short stories that depict events occurring between 1820 and 1940. This was a time when clever men invented flying machines, submarines started traveling underwater, warships were built in Tallinn, bombs were thrown from zeppelins and planes started to fly across oceans. These stories about wild times and creative people are told by film newsreels, private letters, intelligence reports and bedtime stories...

Underwater Flights

2012

Elf Disco poster
NR

The children's world includes as much brutality as the world of adults. Filmmakers Andres Maimik and Jaak Kilmi study the cases of the following kids: Kätlin, Märt, Marek and Indrek. All of them have experienced more violence in their own way than most of the kids of their age. The film brings the viewer to a sad journey to the hidden and traumatic zone in society. The filmmakers try to talk to the children, parents and teachers about the subjects that are often referred to only in abstract ways.

Elf Disco

2001

Elf Disco poster
NR

The children's world includes as much brutality as the world of adults. Filmmakers Andres Maimik and Jaak Kilmi study the cases of the following kids: Kätlin, Märt, Marek and Indrek. All of them have experienced more violence in their own way than most of the kids of their age. The film brings the viewer to a sad journey to the hidden and traumatic zone in society. The filmmakers try to talk to the children, parents and teachers about the subjects that are often referred to only in abstract ways.

Elf Disco

2001

Vastuvõtt poster
NR

A married couple living in Karlova, Tartu, organize a reception for the Republic of Estonia at their home every year on February 24. A humorous insight into the party that takes place in parallel with the glamorous presidential ball, which vividly illustrates what happens in front of thousands of TVs throughout Estonia on this day.

Vastuvõtt

2018

Vastuvõtt poster
NR

A married couple living in Karlova, Tartu, organize a reception for the Republic of Estonia at their home every year on February 24. A humorous insight into the party that takes place in parallel with the glamorous presidential ball, which vividly illustrates what happens in front of thousands of TVs throughout Estonia on this day.

Vastuvõtt

2018

Vastuvõtt poster
NR

A married couple living in Karlova, Tartu, organize a reception for the Republic of Estonia at their home every year on February 24. A humorous insight into the party that takes place in parallel with the glamorous presidential ball, which vividly illustrates what happens in front of thousands of TVs throughout Estonia on this day.

Vastuvõtt

2018

Külla tuli poster
NR

Tired of the city's depravity, a young man decides to turn his back on everything and travel to the countryside, where he thinks he will find pure human relationships. However, he soon notices that the violent relationships in the countryside are no different from those he has already encountered. The only person in whom Leopold finds anything sincere is an epileptic girl, Lee, whose strange beauty fascinates him.

Külla tuli

—

The Dissidents poster
5.8

In Soviet-era Estonia, three young mavericks drop everything and flee to Sweden, but soon learn the free world is not all it's cracked up to be.

The Dissidents

2017

No artwork available
NR

In a remote area of Siberia, the world’s largest sect lives under the teachings of Vissarion, a man who claims to be the reincarnation of Jesus. Sveta has moved from away from St Petersburg and her ex-husband Magomed, and now lives in the community with her children, Danial, Mariam and Zaur, and her new husband, the Vissarionite bell ringer Dmitiri. Christ Lives in Siberia (Jeesus elab Siberis), by Estonian duo Jaak Kilmi and Arbo Tammiksaar, follows the daily lives of the children as they go to school and help out with community chores. As we go along, we discover more about them and what brought their mother to the community. Their lives are juxtaposed with that of Magomed, who writes letters to the Russian government in an attempt to get his children back.

Christ lives in Siberia

2015

No artwork available
NR

Canned Tales investigates the relationship between the city and its residents by recreating the personal stories and dreams of 12 ordinary people. In the film, the stories of the living and dead, memories and city legends, children and skeletons meet. All these diff erent stories are connected by a five-hundred-year-old murder story that occurred in old Tallinn. This old story a story about justice and equality is recreated for our camera by 12 ordinary Tallinn residents. This is story about a city that has attracted peasants escaping from serfdom, girls from small towns dreaming of jobs at the Tallinn Department Store, dropouts who trying working on construction sites during the real estate boom, and vulnerable artistic souls that felt stifled in their home villages.

Tallinn Spiced Sprats: The Canned Tales

2011

Leaving Tallinn. 1941 poster
NR

In the last days of August 1941, one of the greatest maritime disasters in history took place off the northern coast of Estonia. Fleeing the invading Germans, the Soviet authorities hastily and panickedly carried out the evacuation of Tallinn. The remnants of the Red Army units, fleeing Red Army personnel, as well as mobilized Estonians and civilians were placed on more than two hundred ships, either voluntarily or forcibly. In total, over 30,000 people. The line of ships headed for Kronstadt and Leningrad, but they ran into a trap set by the German and Finnish navies near the Juminda Peninsula. 60 ships sank in mine explosions, torpedoes and aircraft bombs, and an estimated 15,000 people died, including thousands of Estonians. The film reveals how the terrible catastrophe of Juminda has been depicted, silenced, minimized or heroized in later historical accounts.

Leaving Tallinn. 1941

2025

Leaving Tallinn. 1941 poster
NR

In the last days of August 1941, one of the greatest maritime disasters in history took place off the northern coast of Estonia. Fleeing the invading Germans, the Soviet authorities hastily and panickedly carried out the evacuation of Tallinn. The remnants of the Red Army units, fleeing Red Army personnel, as well as mobilized Estonians and civilians were placed on more than two hundred ships, either voluntarily or forcibly. In total, over 30,000 people. The line of ships headed for Kronstadt and Leningrad, but they ran into a trap set by the German and Finnish navies near the Juminda Peninsula. 60 ships sank in mine explosions, torpedoes and aircraft bombs, and an estimated 15,000 people died, including thousands of Estonians. The film reveals how the terrible catastrophe of Juminda has been depicted, silenced, minimized or heroized in later historical accounts.

Leaving Tallinn. 1941

2025