© Ants Tammik _ Alexandra Film
Sceneggiatura / Screenplay: Anna Hints
Fotografia / Photography: Ants Tammik
Montaggio / Editing: Hendrik Mägar, Tushar Prakash, Qutaiba Barhamji, Martin Männik, Anna Hints
Musica / Music: Eðvarð Egilsson & EETER Suono / Sound: Huldar Freyr Arnarson, Tanel Kadalipp, Patrick Tubin McGinley
Interpreti / Cast: Maria Meresaar, Elsa Saks, Marianne Liiv, Eva Kübar, Liis Kuresoo, Eda Veeroja, Maria Aasa
Produzione / Produced by: Alexandra Film
Coproduzione / Co-produced by: Kepler22 Productions, Ursus Parvus
Con il sostegno di / Supported by: Estonian Film Institute, The Cultural Endowment of Estonia, Tartu Film Fund, CNC, Sacem, Icelandic Film Centre, Sundance Institute Documentary Program, SVT
Distribuzione internazionale / World Sales: Autlook Filmsales
Distribuzione per l’Italia / Distributed in Italy by: Wanted Cinema
In the darkness of smoke sauna, women share their innermost secrets and intimate experiences. Through a sense of communion, women wash off the shame trapped in their bodies and regain their strength. First screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023, where it won Best Director, and then presented at many international festivals, Smoke Sauna: Secrets of the Sisterhood was awarded Best European Documentary at the EFA 2023.
“Inspired by my roots in the South-East Estonian culture of Võromaa and Setomaa, and the profound teachings of my Võro granny, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is a tribute to the transformative power of the smoke sauna tradition. It is an ode to the sacred space where women have given birth, washed the dead, and healed for generations. Through this film, I hope to encourage a collective journey towards vulnerability and self-acceptance, where all voices are heard and valued, and where healing and empowerment flourish within the embrace of sisterhood.” (A. Hints)
Anna Hints
Anna Hints, born in 1982, is an Estonian film director, screenwriter and composer with a background in contemporary art and experimental folk music. She is currently pursuing a Masters Degree at the Department of Drama of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is her first feature documentary.
Selected filmography
2014 Õnne manifest cm / sf 2017 Jää (Ice) cm / sf 2021 Homme saabub paradiis (For Tomorrow Paradise Arrives) cm / sf 2023 Savvusanna sõsarad (Smoke Sauna: i segreti della sorellanza / Smoke Sauna Sisterhood); Premi / Awards: Sundance FF – Miglior regia nella sezione “World Cinema Documentary” / Directing Award in the section “World Cinema Documentary“; Premi EFA – Miglior documentario europeo / EFA Awards – Best European Documentary
