NEWS Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

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

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (original title: “Savusanna sõsarad”) tells about womanhood through the ancient sauna culture unique to Southeastern Estonia. 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 developed by another producer and production 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, director Anna Hints proposed that I could continue 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 hesitation I agreed to work on the project, and we dived in deep with Anna. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood has been an important

journey in my life that I was ready for,” says Marianne Ostrat, the producer of the film. She continues: “All my film projects have been personal in one way or another, including this one. My father’s family also comes from Southeastern Estonia where the tradition of smoke sauna, that is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, has been a part of local people’s lives.”

Since the film project needed additional finances, the production support from the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund fulfils this purpose. 1100 film projects applied for the support and only 19 were selected. Ostrat comments: “Passing such intense competition means huge acknowledgement and provides necessary feedback to filmmakers. We realized that the film really mattered to people and it was important to get it produced. The support by Sundance Institute also involves belonging to the creative community or the socalled Sundance family – including international seminars and panel discussions, contacts with other filmmakers all over the world, opportunities for getting feedback on the workinprogress, new inspiration, and most importantly – the spirit of the independent cinema of Sundance. Becoming a member of this community has actually been the most valuable for us. Since several documentaries that have been allocated support by Sundance Institute have premiered in the most significant film festivals all over the world, and later made it to the Oscar nomination, the support by Sundance places Smoke Sauna Sisterhood on the next level of visibility for us in the film industry. I truly hope that the support will help us to find the right sales agent and distributors so that the film would reach larger audiences. I wish that the film would have a similar effect on viewers as on our characters and film team – cleansing, uniting, healing, and elating. Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is a thoroughly honest film, where the themes related to natural and primeval womanhood are discussed, thus the film should raise interest especially in female viewers, irrespective of their native language or cultural background,” states Marianne Ostrat.

The film crew includes cinematographer Ants Tammik, editor Qutaiba Barhamji, and composer Edvard Egilsson (tbc). The coproducers of the project are Juliette Cazanave (France), Pierre Jestaz (France), Hlín Jóhannesdóttir (Icelandic, tbc), and Eero Talvistu † (Estonia). Production companies behind the film are Alexandra Film (Estonia), Kepler 22 Productions (France), and URSUS Parvus (Iceland, tbc). The film, with a budget of 275 000 euros, is to be released in spring 2022. EF

Marianne Ostrat

Director Anna Hints (on the leht) on the set of Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.