Hilje Murel

Hilje Murel, born on December 17, 1975, in Võru, Estonia, is a prominent actress renowned for her contributions to stage, film, and television. A graduate of the EMA Higher Drama School in Tallinn in 1998, she studied alongside notable peers such as Tiit Sukk and Liina Vahtrik.

Murel's cinematic journey began with a leading role in the 1998 short film *Libarebased ja kooljad*, directed by Rainer Sarnet, which drew inspiration from the works of Chinese author Pu Songling. Her talents were further showcased in the 2003 comedy *Vanad ja kobedad saavad jalad alla*, where she played Linda's daughter, based on the popular television series of the same name.

In 2004, she starred in the dramatic short *Kurat tuleb sauna*, directed by Andres Maimik, and later appeared in the biographical film *Taarka* (2008) as Nasta. This film, notable for being the first feature in the Seto dialect, earned acclaim and won the Estonian Cultural Endowment Debut Award.

Murel's versatility continued to shine in the 2013 adventure-comedy *Seenelkäik*, which was Estonia's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards, and in the family drama *Väikelinna detektiivid ja valge daami saladus*. Her recent roles include appearances in *Perekonnavaled* (2016), *Võta või jäta* (2018), and the coming-of-age film *Vee peal* (2020). Additionally, she lent her voice to Mother Rat in the animated adaptation of *Sipsik*, based on Eno Raud's beloved children's book.