Ela Tomson (born Ela Liimeon; 16 February 1945) is an

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

n television journalist, editor, screenwriter, and politician. She was a member of

X Riigikogu X Riigikogu was the tenth legislature of Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu The Riigikogu (; from Estonian ''riigi-'', of the state, and ''kogu'', assembly) is the unicameral parliament of Estonia. In addition to approving legislation, the Parlia ...

Early life and career

Tomson was born in

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...

. She is a 1967 graduate of

Tartu State University The University of Tartu (UT; et, Tartu Ülikool; la, Universitas Tartuensis) is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest ...

, with a degree in journalism. During her studies, she worked as an assistant to theatre director

Kaarel Ird Kaarel Ird (27 August 1909 Riga – 25 December 1986 Viljandi) was a Soviet and Estonian theatre leader, director and actor. His theatrical career started in 1932 in Pärnu Töölisteater. Since 1940 he worked at Vanemuine Theatre, being most of t ...

at the

Vanemuine Vanemuine () is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It was the first Estonian language theatre. History ''1870–1906 The Beginning of the Beginning. Koidula’s Theatre, Wiera’s Theatre.'' On June 24, 1870 was the first day in Estonian theatre ...

theatre in

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...

. Later, she worked as an editor and screenwriter at

Eesti Telefilm Eesti Telefilm is an Estonian movie studio established in 1956. It is structural unit of Eesti Televisioon Eesti Televisioon (ETV) ( en, Estonian Television) is an Estonian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Estonian Publ ...

. From 1972 until 1992, she worked as an editor at

Eesti Televisioon Eesti Televisioon (ETV) ( en, Estonian Television) is an Estonian free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Estonian Public Broadcasting. It made its first broadcast on 19 July 1955. History Eesti Televisioon (''Estonian Televisi ...

before taking a position as an editor-in-chief at Pärnu Raadio from 1992 until 1994. In 1994, she returned to Eesti Television as the editor-in-chief; a position she held until 2000. Afterward, she taught secondary school in Pärnu until 2003, when she became involved in politics. She has been a member of

Res Publica Party Res Publica Party ( et, Erakond Res Publica) was a political party in Estonia that self-identified as conservative. Established as a party on 8 December 2001, the political organisation Res Publica was founded already as early as 1989 and exist ...

. In 2003, she was elected to the

Personal life

Tomson is married to film director and cinematographer

Mati Põldre Mati Põldre (23 October 1936 – 7 February 2023) was an Estonian film director, scenarist and operator. Põldre was born in Tallinn. From 1968 he worked at Eesti Telefilm. During the 1990s he worked at film production company Lege Artis Film. ...

. From 1965 until 1973, she was married to writer and theatre director

Mati Unt Mati Unt (1 January 1944 Linnamäe, Voore Parish (now Voore, Mustvee Parish), Jõgeva County, Estonia – 22 August 2005, Tallinn) was an Estonian writer, essayist and theatre director. Biography His first novel, written at the age of 18 af ...

References

Living people 1945 births Estonian screenwriters Estonian women journalists Estonian film editors Res Publica Party politicians Members of the Riigikogu, 2003–2007 Women members of the Riigikogu University of Tartu alumni Politicians from Pärnu 21st-century Estonian women politicians {{Estonia-politician-stub