Salme Reek

Salme Reek

Born: November 10, 1907
Died: June 9, 1996
in Pernov, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire [now Pärnu, Estonia]
Salme Reek (November 10, 1907 – June 6, 1996) was an Estonian stage, film, radio, and television actress and stage director whose career spanned nearly seventy years; sixty-six of which were spent as an actress at the Estonian Drama Theatre.

Salme Helene Reek was the oldest of three siblings born to paper pulp factory worker Juhan Reek and housewife Julia Reek (née Erberg) in Pärnu. Her younger siblings were Hilda (1911–1990), and Oskar (1922–1939) who died at age seventeen. During Reek's early years, the family lived in near-poverty in a one-room apartment on Suur-Kuke Street, later moving into a two-room studio apartment. Both of Reek's parents were keenly interested in music; her father Juhan played the piano and the harmonium and her mother Julia sang as a first soprano in the family's Lutheran church choir. Both parents were also theatre enthusiasts and Reek often attended theatre productions at Pärnu's Endla Theatre during her early childhood.

Reek began her primary school studies in Pärnu before the family relocated to Tallinn, then returning to Pärnu approximately four years later. The family subsequently returned once more to Tallinn, where Reek attended secondary school at Tallinn 2nd Girls' Gymnasium (now, Tallinn Kristiine Gymnasium), graduating in 1927. Reek performed well in history and language classes and excelled in gymnastics.

Just after graduation in 1927, Reek enrolled in studies at the Drama Theatre Studio School in Tallinn, founded in 1920 by actor and theatre pedagogue Paul Sepp, graduating in 1930. From 1929 until 1933, Reek studied dance with Estonian choreographer and dance teacher Gerd Neggo who, because of Reek's difficult financial situation, taught Reek without charge.

Reek made her feature film debut in a small role in the 1969 Soviet-Estonian comedy-drama Hullumeelsus, directed by Kaljo Kiisk for Tallinnfilm. This was followed by the role of Epp in the Kiisk directed drama Tuuline rand in 1971, also for Tallinnfilm. In 1972, she played the role of Amanda in the Veljo Käsper directed and Enn Vetemaa penned World War II drama Väike reekviem suupillile. Reek also appeared in a number of other small roles in films during the 1970s, including the Veljo Käsper directed dramaTuulevaikus in 1971 and the Kaljo Kiisk directed romantic-drama Maaletulek in 1973. In 1976, she made an appearance in the Veljo Käsper directed drama film Aeg elada, aeg armastada.

In 1981, Reek appeared in the role of the character Tuiska's wife in the Arvo Kruusement directed period drama Karge meri; a film adaptation of the 1938 novel of the same name by August Gailit about the lives of seal hunters in a small village on the Baltic Sea. In 1984, she appeared in the Helle Karis directed fantasy-family film Karoliine hõbelõng. In 1989, she appeared in the Igor Voznesensky directed Russian language science fiction film Idealnoe prestuplenie, and in 1991 appeared in a small role in another Russian language film, the Aleksandr Polynnikov directed adventure-comedy Obnazhyonnaya v shlyape.

Other films include the 1992 Jüri Sillart directed period drama film Noorelt õpitud, the 1992 Lembit Ulfsak directed family-comedy film Lammas all paremas nurgas, and the 1993 Ilkka Järvi-Laturi directed dark comedy Tallinn pimeduses. Throughout her career, Reek also appeared in a number of short films

Movies for Salme Reek...

The Firewater
Title: The Firewater
Character: Pimp
Released: April 14, 1994
Type: Movie
At the end of the 1920-s the Finnish government proclaimed dry law which lasted 12 years. Estonian bootleggers living on the neighboring coast of the Gulf of Finland profited from prohibition......
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Candles in the Dark
Title: Candles in the Dark
Released: December 3, 1993
Type: Movie
Candles in the Dark is the story of a girl who comes to visit her father's homeland, the Soviet Republic of Estonia. After she arrives, she finds that her father is part of the dissident anti-soviet underground. She soon find her self engulfed in the struggle with her father and a lot of new friends, and finds herself being hunted by the KGB.
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City Unplugged
Title: City Unplugged
Character: Private Store Owner
Released: June 6, 1993
Type: Movie
In August, 1991, Estonia reclaims its independence from the USSR and brings to its national bank nearly $1 billion in gold bullion hidden in Paris for 50 years. Russian mobsters have a bold plan to hijack the gold after shutting down the capital's power at midnight
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Prompter
Title: Prompter
Character: Salme
Released: April 19, 1993
Type: Movie
The last film directed by Kaljo Kiisk has been dedicated to theatre and the people in theatre. You are entering the hectic world of musicians, zanies and jesters - and don't expect to hear a symphony but a single delicate sound of a flute.
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Lamb in the Down Right Corner
Title: Lamb in the Down Right Corner
Character: Old Lady
Released: December 18, 1992
Type: Movie
A warm movie about two boys, who discover a secret of a painting that was considered to be lost. The adventures begin, when a boss of a bunch of criminals finds out about the painting.
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The Sunny Kids
Title: The Sunny Kids
Released: February 3, 1992
Type: Movie
A movie about the life in a small Estonian city in the 1950s. Young people face an instinct for survival that shatters ideals but can also destroy lives.
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Fish Day
Title: Fish Day
Character: Mother
Released: December 17, 1989
Type: Movie
Human life in the absurd of the everyday
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Perfect Crime
Title: Perfect Crime
Character: Mrs. Nielsen
Released: December 1, 1989
Type: Movie
The manufacturer lance Gerero on the basis of irrefutable evidence accused of killing a girl. However, the young lawyer still hopes to expose the criminals involved in the fabrication of false evidence, saving their customers from competitors…
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Giordano
Title: Giordano
Released: March 5, 1989
Type: Movie
The protagonist of this satirical short is a photographer whose camera captures photos of people's true nature. We often have to ask ourselves whether we see the truth around us. But do we want to see it?
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Judo Boys
Title: Judo Boys
Character: Teacher
Released: January 1, 1987
Type: Movie
Estonian tv movie adapted from a children's novel.
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Karoliine's Silver Yarn
Title: Karoliine's Silver Yarn
Character: Keeper
Released: May 16, 1985
Type: Movie
Karoliine is a spoiled and selfish princess who will meet swamp ogres and sleep fairies, a mermaid and a werewolf on her journey. A bunch of robbers will take her to their cave. Despite having a smart and helpful guide Kaspar with her, Karoliine has to get rid of her selfishness and inconsideration towards others. She is gradually becoming braver and good-hearted that will eventually lead her to the presence of real love.
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The Tin Men
Title: The Tin Men
Character: Miss Fram
Released: December 28, 1984
Type: Movie
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Doubles
Title: Doubles
Character: Newspaper Editorial's Staff
Released: May 11, 1983
Type: Movie
A musical comedy about singer Toomas Aringus and rally driver Mati Uibo, whom journalist Tiina Salum considers to be one and the same person due to their external resemblance.
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Pisuhänd
Title: Pisuhänd
Character: Liina, Maid
Released: January 31, 1982
Type: Movie
Classics of the Estonian plays about how a penniless man can become a millionaire and marry his loving girl.
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The Smacking Sea
Title: The Smacking Sea
Released: November 20, 1981
Type: Movie
The Smacking Sea is a film about the work of traditional seal hunters on the smacking Baltic Sea and their life in the coastal village.
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Võsakurat
Title: Võsakurat
Released: September 6, 1976
Type: Movie
Peeter Simm's diploma film about a forest-guard and a Kyrgyz Red Army soldier in Estonia during the German occupation.
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Mishuk
Title: Mishuk
Released: July 2, 1975
Type: Movie
A musical comedy about the adventures of boys, girls and a bear cub named Mishuk.
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Landing
Title: Landing
Released: January 2, 1973
Type: Movie
Reet loves her long-distance coxswain husband Reinu, but the long separations have tortured her. It seems to her that the man cares more about his work than about her. Rein really loves his work, but his wife just as passionately. He does not understand how loneliness can overwhelm Reet, when women have always been waiting for men from far away. Their family friend Mart loves Reet and cannot see her suffer. It is in Marti's power to offer Reet a safe life, and the woman plagued by internal struggles makes a choice, but happiness seems to slip even further away.
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Little Requiem for Harmonica
Title: Little Requiem for Harmonica
Character: Amanda
Released: October 23, 1972
Type: Movie
Students Jaan and Heiki in 1972, inexplicably, cross the river of time and arrive in 1944, the year of the German occupation of Estonia. The film depicts the painful and conflicting contact between the two ages and mentality.
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Windy Beach
Title: Windy Beach
Character: Epp
Released: January 3, 1971
Type: Movie
The coastal people of Kaugatoma set out to build their own ship to earn a living independent of the baron's will. The baron does everything to prevent the venture, but still "Kaugatoma" raises its white sails. Unfortunately, the power of money turns out to be decisive both in the organization of joint activities and in the relations of the strong-natured captain Tõnis Tihu with the community and his loved ones. He abandons Liisu, with whom he has a son, and marries a wealthy widow. As a captain, he has the power to look after the welfare of the sailors, but he thinks more about his own safety. However, the winds of 1905 are already blowing over the sea.
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Madness
Title: Madness
Character: Gatekeeper
Released: February 9, 1969
Type: Movie
The action takes place in a nameless country occupied by the German army at the time of World War II. In a small village there's an asylum. A squad of German soldiers arrives to take the insane people to a "walk in the forest". Just before they are ready to go to forest to kill the insane people, a Gestapo officer arrives and from his conversation with the doctor we can find out that there's an enemy agent hiding himself in the asylum. Officer Windisch must find the agent from 583 people and on his searches he is slowly starting to feel himself crazy too.
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To a Cold Land
Title: To a Cold Land
Character: Külanaine
Released: July 19, 1965
Type: Movie
In a late 19th-century Estonian village, farmer Jaan struggles. He works for Andres but can't provide enough. Jaan falls for Andres' daughter, Anni, who helps. Desperate, Jaan turns to theft, gets caught, and is sent to Siberia with Anni.