
Taavi Eelmaa
Acting
Biography
Taavi Eelmaa (born June 15, 1971) is an Estonian stage and film actor. Born and raised in Tallinn, he is the son of actor Aleksander Eelmaa and Reet Eelmaa. Taavi Eelmaa began studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, graduating in 1996. Among his graduating classmates were Karin Tammaru, Ain Prosa, René Reinumägi, Indrek Saar, Tarvo Sõmer, and Ardo Ran Varres. After graduating, he worked for six years at the Estonian Drama Theatre in Tallinn, and from 2002 to present at the Von Krahl Theatre in Tallinn. Eelmaa made his screen debut in 1993 in the Rainer Sarnet-directed short film Merehaigus (English: Seasickness) and has gone on to appear in roles in numerous Estonian films. Among his more memorable roles were as Theo in the 2007 Veiko Õunpuu-directed drama Sügisball (English: Autumn Ball), inspired by Estonian writer Mati Unt's novel of the same name, and as the title character in Õunpuu's 2009 black comedy Püha Tõnu kiusamine (English: The Temptation of St. Tony). The film was selected as Estonia's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, but it didn't make the final shortlist. He has also appeared on television, most notably as the character Priit Post in the Kanal 2 crime series Kelgukoerad.
Known For

Based on a true story in the turbulent Estonian 90s. Personal dramas will unfold using the historic events as a backdrop, with the characters constantly re-evaluating the currency rates and their personal values.
The Bank

When a nun in a remote convent claims immaculate conception, the Vatican sends a team of priests to investigate, concerned about an ancient prophecy that a woman will give birth to twin boys: one the Messiah, the other the Antichrist.
Deliver Us

An anthology of one-minute films created by 51 international filmmakers on the theme of the death of cinema. Intended as an ode to 35mm, the film was screened one time only on a purpose-built 20x12 meter public cinema screen in the Port of Tallinn, Estonia, on 22 December 2011. A special projector was constructed for the event which allowed the actual filmstrip to be burnt at the same time as the film was shown.
60 Seconds of Solitude in Year Zero

In a poor Estonian village, a group of peasants use magic and folk remedies to survive the winter, and a young woman tries to get a young man to love her.
November

A mid-level manager who develops an aversion to being a good person questions his morality as he faces the challenges of middle age and loses control of his life.
The Temptation of St. Tony

CIA agents Palmer and Gagano are tasked with the perilous mission of destroying “The Soviet Union!" As they enter the system using a VR simulation, their mission quickly turns into a delirious trap, far more complex than expected, as the fabric of reality starts unraveling around them.
Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway

Tundra of Lapland, Finland. Rupi, a young man who fills his days dealing and drinking, works in a mine hoping to raise enough money to escape the desolate village where he lives.
The Last Ones

Aliide experienced The Great Terror under Stalin’s regime, and decades after her hometown people were deported to Siberia, she lives alone in an isolated house. One night, she finds a young woman in her yard – Zara has just escaped from the claws of the Russian mafia that held her as a sex slave. Survivors both, Aliide and Zara engage in unearthing each other’s motives and gradually their stories merge into one, revealing the tragedy of a family during the cruelest years in Estonian history.
Purge

The approaching baptism of his ex-wife's new baby destroys Antti's ability to function and puts him in catatonic state. Tuomas and Nippe take action to cheer him up and decide to take him on a singles cruise.
Reunion 3: Singles Cruise

A young man tries to make sense of the world in the summer heat of late nineties Estonia.
The Days That Confused

A brilliant but misguided man feels that he has the right to decide who is worth their place on earth.
The Arbiter

Autumn in Estonia, where six people live, six solitudes, prisoners of the monotonous architecture of Soviet-era concrete buildings, in search of human companionship, of love, of a ray of light in an ocean of gray.
Autumn Ball

A postman endeavors to fly to the moon in one breath so he can deliver a package.
Sky Song

A story of a naive man, whose direct behavior stirs in people moral unrest, rage and embarrassment over their own pettiness, making them yearn for goodness.
The Idiot

The creators of the legendary tango à trois reunite for an encore performance 25 years after breaking up. Determined to take on the night as if they had never aged they face the realities when their families arrive to join the audience.
Parquet

Based on the tales of Chinese writer Pu Songling, the film depicts the romantic relationships of a Chinese student with an undead girl and a fox spirit maiden. Rainer Sarnet's diploma film.
Dragonflies and Coliaths

Unforgettable melodies, unique timbre and a memorable, soul-stirring voice. A mystery for women and authority for men, his talent was revered by the highest ranks of the Soviet Union and millions of ordinary people. Georg Ots took the stage when a huge country was recovering from the horrors of war, and his voice returned them faith in a bright future. Few people know what his life was really like.
Georg

Diamantes Negros tells the long journey undertaken by two young boys from Mali who arrive in Spain after being persuaded to pursue their dream of escaping from poverty by becoming professional football players.
Black Diamonds

Karina and Martin are in a pleasent relation where everyday life flows in an effortlessly accustomed way and no small misbehaviours can shake it’s rush. Life is good. Perhaps it’s this perfection and frequent patterns that make them finally pose a question – is everything to be expected in life? This is a story about following the yearning of your soul. Longing for something other than the present and having the courage to be deliberately lost.
Portugal

Peter and his wife have dinner with friends in a restaurant. They have not quarreled for two weeks already. A new record could be in the making. But a trivial argument soon grows into a quarrel and the night brings weird games into their relationship.