Article series: Experiencing TENET
Experiencing TENET Part 1
Experiencing TENET Part 2 👈 You are here!
Experiencing TENET Part 3
In Part 1, I wrote that the “Kyiv Opera House” was actually not in Kyiv. Rather, Tallinna Linnahall was chosen for filming those scenes in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. However, Tallinna Linnahall is not the only place used for the film, there were actually many more. This summer, I explored four of the filming locations in Tallinn. Most of them are open to the public, with no special agent status required. I confirmed each place by comparing the on-site surroundings to the film clip.
Oslo Freeport’s Interior – Estonian Art Museum (KUMU)
📍 Estonian Art Museum (KUMU)
⏰ Mon closed, Tue-Wed 10:00-18:00, Thu 10-20, Sat-Sun 10:00–18:00
☎️ +372 602 6000
Right: My mother sitting on the bench, looking toward the entrance.
Left: My sister standing in the same position as the Protagonist, without holding coffee.
In the film, the Protagonist and his buddy, Neil, infiltrated Oslo Freeport to investigate the mysterious time-inverting machine. Surrounded by expensive paintings and careful guards, the mission quickly turned into an unexpected fight with… himself. This scene was shot in the Estonian Art Museum (KUMU), one of the largest art museums in Northern Europe. KUMU opened in 2006 and houses Estonian art pieces dating all the way back to the 18th century.. You can easily spend hours here immersing yourself in the art world, from oil paintings of peaceful countryside landscapes to Socialist Realism pieces.
Oslo Freeport’s Exterior – Paljassaare Harbor
📍 Paljassaare Sadam (Paljassaare Harbor)
Proof that Oslo Freeport exists: one branch is located in Tallinn.
This is a private port area, so I couldn’t go on site. Still, looking at Google Maps, it’s likely that one of the Oslo Freeport entrances was most likely shot here. You can see the same blue sign matches on the top of the building. The building has two large pathways that are probably for trucks. It seemed that they were transformed into a mysterious machine’s entrance, which I found quite interesting. However, take this as a kind reminder that you should not step inside unless you see yourself going to the other side too.
Time-inverted Car Chase – Laagna street
📍 Laagna tee (Laagna street)
⏰ Open 24/7, unless Nolan is filming again.
View from the bridge. The bright brown building at the end of the street is visible in both images
The thrilling car chasing scene, where the Protagonist and Neil hijack a transport truck to rob the mysterious metallic device, was shot in Laagne tee. Unfortunately, it quickly became a nightmare of a car chase, with inverted time and a gunfire exchange. Luckily, all the cars seemed to be going in the right direction today. Public transport from the city centre to the Estonian Art Museum (KUMU) runs along this street, so you can enjoy the same view.
Revisiting “Kyiv Opera House” – Tallinna Linnahall
📍 Tallinna Linnahall
⏰ Permanently closed, rooftop open 24/7
Linnahall. The entire building is currently fenced off. The same sign in front of the staircase is still visible.
As covered in Part 1, Tallinna Linnahall is closed for visitors unless you join an inside tour. It might not be a fun place unless you are an architecture enthusiast. However, the view from the rooftop, which is open 24/7, provides one of the best panoramic night views of Tallinn. There, you can see the Old Town’s medieval buildings, the modern business district, and the ferry port. During the summer, it’s a usual hangout place for young people as well.
Next article 👉 Experiencing TENET part 3 (coming soon!)
This article is based on two sources: Visit Tallinn’s homepage (click here) and Visit Estonia’s YouTube (click here).
All images are author’s own unless indicated otherwise.
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