Elmo Nüganen


Elmo Nüganen is an Estonian theatre director, film director, and actor. He has been the artistic Director of the Tallinn City Theatre since 1992.
He was a graduate of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in 1988 and then a professor at the academy from 1998–2002 and 2008–2012. He directed the war films Names in Marble from 2002 and 1944 from 2015. Names in Marble was seen by more than 168,000 people in Estonia and was selected for the 2003 Taormina Film Fest, while 1944 had the highest opening-week audience numbers in Estonian film history and became [List of Estonia|Estonian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film|the country's submission for the Academy Awards].
Nüganen has received multiple awards for his work in theatre, including the Estonian Annual Theatre Award for Best Director in 1992, 1995, 2000, 2007, and 2010, and the Estonian National Cultural Award in 1996, 1999, and 2009.

Personal life

Nüganen is of Ingrian Finnish descent. He is married to actress Anne Reemann. They have three daughters, Saara, Maria-Netti, and Sonja.

Filmography

YearTitle Title Role
1990Ainus pühapäevThe Only SundayAleks
1990Ainult hulludele ehk halastajaõdeOnly For the Insane, or Sister of MercyRhine Militia
1992Mälestus sinistes kildudes. Bernard KangroA Memory in Blue Fragments. Bernard KangroJoonatan
1993SuflöörThe PrompterRobert
1993Marraskuun harmaa valoThe Grey Light of November
1994Armastus kolme apelsini vastuLove for Three Oranges
1997Kapsapea 2 ehk Tagasi EuroopasseCabbage Head 2, or Back to EuropeVoice
2002Nimed marmortahvlilNames in MarbleArmed Train Commander
2012SeenelkäikMushroomingGas Station Salesman
2012PuhastusPurgeFather
2012DeemonidDemonsStranger
2013MandariinidTangerinesMargus
2017Lotte loodLotte's StoriesLotte's Grandfather
2018PortugalThe Boss-
2020O2Major Kurg
2025Ühemõõtmeline meesOne-Dimensional ManInvestigator-