Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
In the darkness of a smoke sauna, women share their innermost secrets and intimate experiences, washing off the shame trapped in their bodies and regaining their strength through a sense of communion.
Estonia’s Official Entry: 96th Academy Awards
Winner: European Film Academy Award for Best Documentary
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.
Sundance – Best Director – World Cinema Features
San Francisco International Film Festival – Golden Gate Award – Best Documentary Feature
European Film Academy Awards – Best Documentary Feature
International Documentary Association – Best Cinematography
Producers Guild of America – Nominated for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Picture
The New York Times – Ten Best Films of 2023 (Allisa Wilkinson)