Esko Rips

Esko Rips, born smack in the middle of summer—June 12, 1981—in the small Estonian town of Kadrina, has been quietly shaking up the film scene for a while now. Not exactly a household name outside those cinephile circles, but if you’ve ever stumbled onto “Tähtsad ninad” (2023), you’ve seen the guy’s fingerprints all over it. He isn’t just a producer; he’s one of those assistant directors who actually makes things happen behind the camera. The sort who knows how to wrangle chaos on set and still keep a smile, or at least not lose his mind. Dig a little deeper and you’ll spot his name tied to “The Inquest of Pilot Pirx” and “Commander Pirx.” Yeah, those culty, sci-fi gems that people still argue about online. The kind of stuff that makes you wonder if reality’s all it’s cracked up to be. Esko’s never been flashy—he’s more the “let’s get it done” type. You won’t catch him mugging for the camera or making a fuss. But talk to anyone who’s worked with him, and they’ll tell you he’s got a knack for pulling the best out of a crew even when everything’s spiraling. You can say he’s got this quiet intensity, a stubborn streak that pushes projects over the finish line when everyone else is ready to give up. Maybe it’s something in the Estonian water. Either way, he’s carved out a place for himself in the industry, doing the gritty work that makes movies actually happen, and honestly, the film world’s better off for it.