Rein Kalmus was born in Siberia to Enn Kalmus and Salme Kalmus (née. Koskela). The parents were deported from Estonia in March 1949 during World War II. When Rein was 4 years old, they got amnesty and moved back to Estonia. His 8-years older half brother Viljo Koskela had escaped the deportation due was vacationing at his aunts place. He stayed with his aunt until his mother returned from Siberia. Rein went to Tallinn 24th Secondary School and after that Tallinn Technical University but dropped out before the final exams. He was enlisted to Soviet Army and served 2 years in Soviet Air Force base at Sakhalin Island. After returning from the Army, he went to work in Tallinfilm film studio. He studied cinematography in Moscow, The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography. He worked in Tallinfilm until Estonia regained independence and Tallinfilm was terminated in 1991. After that Rein worked different jobs, mostly related to construction and woodwork, which he liked a lot. He picked up drinking, that led to his marriage falling apart and finally death at a relatively young age. Rein married Vaike Kalmus (née. Murd) in 1975, they had two children - a daughter, Aivi Murd-Murulauk (née. Kalmus), born in 1977 and a son, Margus Kalmus, born in 1979. His marriage fell apart and he was divorced in 2010. He lived alone and never remarried. Last few years of his life he was living in Kunda City, his daughter looking in on him weekly. He was living off his pension. He died in his bed like he always wanted to, as a free man, not owing anybody anything. He is buried at a family burial site next to his mother and father in Pärnamäe Cemetary in Tallinn.
