Jaak Kilmi

Directing

Jaak Kilmi

Born 1973-10-23 · Tallinn, Estonian SSR, USSR [now Harju County, Estonia]

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.

Acting credits

Behind the camera

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

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

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 Shadow poster
6.4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Revolution of Pigs poster
4.7

"Revolution of Pigs" is an adventurous youth comedy, taking place in a Woodstock-like milieu. The main character is Tanel, a 15-year-old boy, who, taking part of a youth revolt against the system, finds himself and his love.

Revolution of Pigs

2004

Revolution of Pigs poster
4.7

"Revolution of Pigs" is an adventurous youth comedy, taking place in a Woodstock-like milieu. The main character is Tanel, a 15-year-old boy, who, taking part of a youth revolt against the system, finds himself and his love.

Revolution of Pigs

2004

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

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

The Dissidents poster
5.7

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

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

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

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