NEWS
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
The new documentary by film director Anna Hints was allocated production support by the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund – the call for proposals received 1100 film projects and only 19 were selected. By Maria Ulfsak Photos by Ruudu Rahumaru, Alexandra Film
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ESTONIAN FILM
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moke Sauna Sisterhood (origi nal title: “Savusanna sõsarad”) tells about womanhood through the ancient sauna culture unique to Southeastern Esto nia. In the darkness of the 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 replenish their strength. In the initial phase, the film was de veloped by another producer and produc tion company Kinoport; the filming was
about to start in spring 2019 when due to tragic circumstances the whole process was put on hold. “If in spring 2019, direc tor Anna Hints proposed that I could con tinue this film project that had been left without a producer, I was recovering from a burnout. The fact that the project found me was extremely special for me as a human being; the flow, motivation and energy that I got from this also passed on to my other undertakings. With no hesita tion I agreed to work on the project, and we dived in deep with Anna. Smoke Sau na Sisterhood has been an important
