Kristel Leesmend (born 30 August 1968 in

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...

) 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 actress. From 1987 until 1988, Leesmend worked at the Vanalinnastuudio in Tallinn as a costume designer and as a freelance actress. In 1992 she graduated from

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia'') began as a mixed choir of the Estonia Society Musical Department (EMD) on the eve of World War I. The assembly of the Estonia Society created the Tallinn Higher Musi ...

's Drama School and has been a freelance actress since. In 2002, she worked as a supervisor at the

Tallinn University of Technology Established in 1918, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech; et, Tallinna Tehnikaülikool) is the only technical university in Estonia. TalTech, in the capital city of Tallinn, is a university for engineering, business, public administrati ...

's student theatre, T-Theater. From 2003 until 2006, she director of casting for the Estonian Casting Agency (

Allfilm Allfilm is an Estonian movie studio established in 1995. Since Allfilm's establishment in 1995, its main activities have included producing features, documentaries, TV- commercials, TV-series, music videos and promotional films. Allfilm also p ...

). Besides theatrical roles she has also played in several films. Leesmend was in a relationship with actor

Ivo Uukkivi Ivo Uukkivi (born 11 October 1965) is an Estonian stage, film, radio, and television actor, television producer and, under the nickname Munk, founder of and singer with the punk rock, punk band Velikije Luki. Early life and education Ivo Uukkivi ...

, the pair have a daughter, born in 1995, with whom she has a very close relationship.

Selected Filmography

* 1993 ''Tallinn pimeduses'' (feature film; role: Department store salesclerk) * 1994 ''Jüri Rumm'' (feature film; role Eliisabet) * 2006 '' Ruudi'' (feature film; role: Nurse) * 2008 ''Doktor Kloun'' (documentary film; director and scenarist) * 2011 '' Surnuaiavahi tütar'' (feature film; role: Ilse) * 2012 ''Üksik saar'' (feature film; role: Sick woman) * 2012 ''Kõik muusikud on kaabakad'' (feature film; role: Külli) * 2016 ''Mäel'' (short film; role: Maria)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leesmend, Kristel Living people 1968 births Estonian film actresses Estonian stage actresses Estonian television actresses 20th-century Estonian actresses 21st-century Estonian actresses Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni Actresses from Tallinn