Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

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.

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.

Director Anna Hints captures this UNESCO listed ritual in an intimate and visceral way, through an immersive soundscape saturated with breath and steam. The women’s anatomies become landscapes, and Hints honours the privilege of being allowed into this intimate space, and the empowered vulnerability of the women, with this engrossing portrait.

“Transcendent. A smoky, steamy miracle.” Variety

“A film that places you in the moment of relaxation, conveys the sense of a cleansing that is both physical and spiritual.” - Screen Daily

“A cathartic experience.” – Paste Magazine

AWARDS
Directing Awards (World Cinema)
Sundance 2023

Best Documentary
European Film Awards 2023

Best Cinematography
International Documentary Association