Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Transcendent. A smoky, steamy miracle.
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
No story too shameful, no burden too heavy to carry when you share it with your sisterhood…The Vana-Võromaa (region in South Estonia) smoke sauna tradition known as “savvusanna kombõ” and listed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is one of connecting family and friends to cleanse body and soul inside a place of peace and contemplation. Conflicts are left outside. In Filmmaker Anna Hints’ SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD, the history of the smoke saunas as a place of giving birth inspired them to focus on women who “come together in the protective darkness of the smoke sauna, share their deepest secrets and wash off the shame that has accumulated in their bodies."
The first documentary by an Estonian director to compete and win at Sundance, SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD is a deeply moving, intimate and breathtaking approach to issues of trauma, healing, and community. Filmed almost as if a Vermeer or Rembrandt painting, the camera is never intrusive, never mechanical. Rather, the images move as the smoke – lingering, wafting, suspended briefly before disappearing and reappearing. With an authentic voice and authority born of their own heritage, filmmaker Anna Hints has created a transformative experience of being human within a female body, showing women “as they are” with great emotional veracity and deep empathy.
The first documentary by an Estonian director to compete and win at Sundance, SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD is a deeply moving, intimate and breathtaking approach to issues of trauma, healing, and community. Filmed almost as if a Vermeer or Rembrandt painting, the camera is never intrusive, never mechanical. Rather, the images move as the smoke – lingering, wafting, suspended briefly before disappearing and reappearing. With an authentic voice and authority born of their own heritage, filmmaker Anna Hints has created a transformative experience of being human within a female body, showing women “as they are” with great emotional veracity and deep empathy.
Genre
Documentary,
Women and Film
Web Site
Runtime
89
Language
Estonian,
Võro,
Seto
Director
Anna Hints
Producer
Marianne Ostrat
Writer(s)
Anna Hints
Cast
Kadi Kivilo
Awards:
Nominee, Grand Jury Prize ~ Documentary, Sundance Film Festival
Winner, Best Director ~ World Cinema: Documentary, Sundance Film Festival
Nominee, Best Documentary, European Film Awards
MOREFEATURED REVIEW
Tomris Laffly, Bazaar
From childhood trauma and toxic relationships to abortion and rape, no topic is off limits to these spiritual sisters as they sweat to cleanse their souls and bodies—filmed gracefully by Hints with a painterly touch of chiaroscuro—while also purifying the essence of their viewers. It’s poetic stuff ...
Played at
Royal 11.24.23 - 11.30.23
NoHo 7 12.01.23 - 12.07.23
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood Get Tickets
There are currently no showtimes for this film. Please check back soon.