Ilmar Raag (born 21 May 1968 in

Kuressaare Kuressaare () is a town on Saaremaa island in Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Saaremaa Parish and the capital of Saare County. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded population on 1 January 2018 was 13,276. Th ...

) is an Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his socio-critical film '' The Class''. He has served as CEO of

Estonian Television 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 Televis ...

from 2002 to 2005. He is a well known

columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (newspaper), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the fo ...

in many prestigious Estonian newspapers (''

Postimees ''Postimees'' () is an Estonian daily newspaper established on 5 June 1857, by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. In 1891, it became the first daily newspaper in Estonia. Its current editor-in-chief is Priit Hõbemägi. The paper has approximately 250 ...

'', ''

Eesti Päevaleht ''Eesti Päevaleht'' ''("Estonia Daily")'' is a major daily Estonian newspaper, from the same publishers as the weekly '' Eesti Ekspress''. It has a daily circulation of around 36,000. History and profile ''Eesti Päevaleht'' was founded on 5 Ju ...

''). He has written many scripts and directed critically acclaimed films, notably ''August 1991'' and ''The Class''.

Life

Raag was born in

on 21 May 1968. He received his high school education from Aleksander Mui ( :et) secondary school No 2 of Kingissepa. He graduated from

University of Tartu 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 ...

in 1997 and received his M.A. degree in screenwriting from

Ohio University Ohio University is a Public university, public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confeder ...

, the School of Telecommunications (1999). He made internships in Hollywood development departments (New Regency,

Phoenix Pictures Phoenix Pictures is an American film production company that has produced films since the late 1990s with features including '' Black Swan'' (2010), '' Shutter Island'' (2010), ''The People vs. Larry Flynt'' (1996), '' The Thin Red Line'' (1998), ...

). His further career took him to the TV management. After being the Head of Acquisitions for Estonian National Television, he was promoted to the Chairman of the Board of the same TV company. In 2002, he staged a play in one of the Estonian theaters ( Ugala). At the same time, he started to consult and doctor Estonian feature scripts. In 2004, he wrote two TV feature scripts. He directed one of them - August 1991 as made-for-TV movie for

and the other, ''One More Croissant'' got the third prize at Hartley Merill International Screenwriting Competition and the support from MEDIA New Talent program. Eager to continue his filmmaking career, he quit as CEO of Estonian Television and made his first feature film ''The Class'' in 2007. Since then he shot a feature in France '' Une Estonienne à Paris'' with Jeanne Moreau and

Laine Mägi Laine Mägi (born Laine Michelson-Adamson; 3 February 1959) is an Estonian stage, film and television actress, dancer and choreographer and dance pedagogue who began her career as a teenager. She is the founder of the Laine Mägi School of Dance ...

in leading roles, back in Estonia '' Kertu'' that was released in 2013 and in Russia ''

I Won't Come Back ''I Won't Come Back'' is a 2014 Russian/Kazakh drama film directed by Ilmar Raag Ilmar Raag (born 21 May 1968 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his socio-critical film '' The C ...

''. Currently he is developing new projects with producer Riina Sildos from Amrion (Estonia).

Filmography

Director

* 2022 ''Erik Kivisüda'' (aka ''Erik Stoneheart'') * 2014 ''

'' * 2015–2017 ''Vaba mehed'' (television series) * 2013 ''Kertu'' (aka ''Love Is Blind'') * 2012 ''Une Estonienne à Paris'' (aka ''A Lady in Paris'') * 2007 '' Klass'' ('' The Class'') * 2005 ''August 1991'' (television film) * 1998 ''Tappev Tartu'' (''Killing Tartu'') (amateur film)

Writer

* 2013 ''Kertu'' * 2012 ''Une Estonienne à Paris'' * 2010 ''Klass: Elu pärast'' (television miniseries) * 2010 ''September'' (documentary) * 2008 '' Mina olin siin'' (''I Was Here'') * 2007 '' Klass'' (''The Class'') * 2006 ''

Vana daami visiit ''Vana daami visiit'' (English: ''The Visit of the Old Lady'') is a 2006 Estonian film directed by Roman Baskin and based on the 1956 play '' The Visit'' by Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was ...

'' * 2005 ''Libahundi needus'' (television film) * 2005 ''August 1991'' (television film) * 1998 ''Tappev

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 ...

'' (''Killing Tartu'') (amateur film)

Actor

* 2010 ''Klass: Elu pärast'' (television miniseries) * 2008 ''

Tuulepealne maa ''Tuulepealne maa'' ("Windward Land") is a twelve-part Estonian television mini-series about the pre-World War II history of Estonia, its birth as a country, the Estonian War of Independence, post-war life throughout 1920 up to 1941 and World ...

'' (television series) * 2006 ''Tabamata ime'' * 2005 ''Stiilpidu'' (aka ''Shop of Dreams'') * 2005 ''Kohtumine tundmatuga'' (television film) * 2004 ''Visions of Europe'' (segment "Estonia: Euroflot") * 2003 ''Viimane öö'' (Short) * 1998 ''Tappev Tartu'' (''Killing Tartu'') (amateur film) * 1997 '' Minu Leninid'' (aka ''All My Lenins'')

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Raag, Ilmar 1968 births Living people Estonian film directors Estonian screenwriters Estonian male film actors People from Kuressaare Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 4th Class