Kristel Leesmend (born 30 August 1968 in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

) is an

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

n actress. From 1987 until 1988, Leesmend worked at the

Vanalinnastuudio Vanalinnastuudio (literally 'Old Town Studio') was a theatre in Tallinn, Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west b ...

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; ) is the only Institute of technology, technical university in Estonia. TalTech, in the capital city of Tallinn, is a university for engineering, business, public administration a ...

's student theatre, T-Theater. From 2003 until 2006, she director of casting for the Estonian Casting Agency ( Allfilm). 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 band Velikije Luki. Early life and education Ivo Uukkivi was born i ...

, 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

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 {{Estonia-actor-stub