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Valentin Kuik

Valentin Kuik

Writing

Biography

Valentin Kuik (January 27, 1943 in the village of Zabolotje, near Novgorod, Russia – October 30, 2025) was an Estonian writer, film director and screenwriter. He graduated from Puurmani Secondary School in 1961. He worked as a physical education teacher at the Kabala 8th grade school. After military service, he went to Tallinn. From 1966 to 1968, he worked as a lighting engineer at Estonian Television and from 1968 to 1970, as a puppeteer at Tallinnfilm. In 1970, Kuik entered the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, studying at the directing department under Professor Mikhail Romm. In 1975, he graduated cum laude. His diploma work was the short film "Löö vastu" (starring Jüri Aarma). From 1975 to 1992, Kuik was a director and screenwriter at Tallinnfilm, and later made documentaries at Eesti Telefilm and other studios. In 1998, he founded the studio F-Seitse OÜ with Dorian Supin, Sulev Keedus, Reet Sokmann, Mart Ots, Kadri Kanter and Kaie-Ene Rääk. Kuik has written short stories, narratives and screenplays.

Known For

Family Lies
2.5

The film is set in a town that has a professional symphony orchestra, managed by authoritarian and confident Paul Levald, who has conducted both the orchestra and his family affairs for years. Due to dramatic events, Paul’s son-in-law Egon Rei must unexpectedly assume his duties. In addition to the baton, power and responsibility as well as the tensions in the orchestra, Egon inherits his father-in-law’s secrets and obligations from his complicated past. New lies are born out of old ones and, at some point, Egon realises that the revelation of truth might cause a real chaos. "Family Lies" by Valentin Kuik and Manfred Vainokivi is a relationship drama about elephants in the bedroom and skeletons in the closet, about small and big deceptions, half-truths and set-ups that can be found in every family’s secret chronicles.

Family Lies

2016Movie