Trieste Film Festival 2024: Smoke Sauna Sisterhood | Interview of Anna Hints
Anna Hints walked us through the tough physical and emotional journey of shooting Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, discussing the weight of carrying on the tradition of smoke saunas and the special space it provides for women to open up and be themselves.
Estonian director Anna Hints‘ captivating debut feature, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, took off on an incredible journey after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023. The documentary quickly gained acclaim at various festivals like CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, DOC NYC, IDFA, Sheffield Docfest, Trieste Film Festival, and the Sydney Film Festival. It eventually clinched the prestigious Best European Documentary award at the European Film Awards. Scheduled for release in French theaters on March 20th, 2024, the film dives deep into the lives of a group of close-knit women in South Estonia, who share their stories within the cozy confines of a smoke sauna, where vulnerability and strength intertwine. Anna Hints, known for her diverse background in contemporary art and experimental folk music, directs this remarkable feature. Her debut earned her a Directing Award at Sundance last year. Ahead of the film’s French theatrical release, we had the pleasure of chatting with Anna Hints, a visionary filmmaker dedicated to exploring the intricacies of human existence through her art.
“The goal was to create a cinematic atmosphere that transports viewers into the heart of the sauna experience, focusing on the collective energy rather than individual faces.”
Aurélie Géron (Film Fest Report): When thinking of your film, one can’t help but marvel at the physical challenges you encountered as you shot inside a smoke sauna. Can you share insights into the technical aspects of filming in such extreme conditions?
Anna Hints: Shooting inside a smoke sauna was quite a feat. The sauna reaches temperatures of up to 80 degrees Celsius during sessions lasting three to four hours. This intense heat not only brings physical dirt to the surface but also emotions. Our challenge was multifaceted: surviving the heat ourselves, protecting our equipment, and ensuring minimal disruption to the intimate moments we were capturing. We adopted a methodical approach, leveraging the sauna’s slow heating process to acclimate our filming gear gradually. Additionally, we placed separate sets of lenses inside and outside the sauna to accommodate the drastic temperature shifts, from up to 90 degrees to -20 degrees when women go outside for a few minutes to just breathe. Despite losing a couple of lenses to water and smoke damage, the experience was invaluable, requiring us to be both emotionally and technically prepared to capture the essence of the sauna rituals. We wanted them to feel comfortable doing their rituals, chanting, throwing and splashing water as they normally do.
Aurélie Géron: Your film takes a unique approach to portraying its subjects, notably by rarely showing their faces, except for one of them. Was this a deliberate artistic choice?
Anna Hints: Absolutely. In crafting the visual language of the film, we aimed to transcend traditional portrayals of the female body, particularly in a setting as vulnerable as a sauna. We wanted to avoid any hint of sexualization, given the societal tendency to sexualize the female body. My cinematographer Ants Tammik and I immersed ourselves in the sauna environment first to develop a visual language that captures the raw authenticity of the experience without any hint of objectification. Once we honed this approach usign my own body, we collaborated closely with the women involved, ensuring they felt comfortable with how we would portray their bodies on screen. The goal was to create a cinematic atmosphere that transports viewers into the heart of the sauna experience, focusing on the collective energy rather than individual faces. Interestingly, one participant later chose to reveal her face on camera, adding a layer of relatability to the collective narrative we aimed to convey. Ultimately, our artistic vision aimed to blur the boundaries between individual identities, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the shared journey of the sauna sisterhood without preconceived notions of how many individuals were present. In the final cut, we feature twenty-five distinct women or non-binary individuals, meaning twenty-five unique bodies, without you being able to tell. It could be as few as five or as many as a hundred!
“While I carry this heritage forward, I do so with a contemporary sensibility.”
Aurélie Géron: Your film juxtaposes ancient traditions with contemporary discussions. Can you elaborate on this interplay?
Anna Hints: I was born into the rich culture of smoke saunas, particularly prevalent in the Southeast region of Estonia among the indigenous Võro people and the Setos. These saunas hold deep spiritual significance, serving as spaces for both physical and emotional purification and healing. Traditionally, they’ve been especially vital for women, particularly because they are the ones who give birth. My grandmother introduced me to this cultural heritage. However, while I deeply value this tradition, I approach it with a modern perspective, emphasizing critical thinking. While some aspects of our cultural heritage may no longer align with contemporary values, such as outdated chants regarding the roles of women, I believe in preserving the essence of the tradition.
While we have records of smoke sauna chants from the 19th century, it’s hard to trace their origins further back since the culture has been passed down orally. The first time smoke saunas were written about was when the crusaders came to Estonia, but we’re not sure how old they really are. Take, for example, some of the chants from the 19th century, which had pretty outdated ideas about what girls should do, like getting married and not being “slutty.” But in today’s world, those ideas don’t really fit, so I don’t chant those songs anymore.
For me, the heart of this heritage lies in the communal chanting practiced in the smoke sauna—a practice that fosters a safe environment for sharing and self-expression. While I carry this heritage forward, I do so with a contemporary sensibility, recognizing the need to adapt and evolve while preserving the essence of our cultural identity. Ultimately, I believe in the power of choice when it comes to deciding which aspects of our heritage to uphold, what to modify, and what to leave behind.
The film is scheduled for theatrical release in France on March 20th, 2024. We would like to acknowledge Anna Hints and Claire Viroulaud for making this interview possible.
Film Fest Report is a proud media partner of the Trieste Film Festival.
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