DocNights: Smoke Sauna Sisterhood 15

This film is F-Rated
Celebrating the empowerment of women in the film industry. Read more >
No story too shameful, no burden too heavy to carry when you share it with your sisterhood…
The Vana-Võromaa (region in South
Estonia) smoke sauna tradition known as “savvusanna kombõ” and listed in the
UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is
one of connecting family and friends to cleanse body and soul inside a place of
peace and contemplation. Conflicts are left outside. In Filmmaker Anna Hints’ Smoke
Sauna Sisterhood, the history of the smoke saunas as a place of giving
birth inspired them to focus on women who “come together in the protective
darkness of the smoke sauna, share their deepest secrets and wash off the shame
that has accumulated in their bodies”.
The first documentary by an Estonian director to compete and win at Sundance Smoke Sauna Sisterhood is a deeply moving, intimate and breath-taking approach to issues of trauma, healing, and community. Filmed almost as if a Vermeer or Rembrandt painting, the camera is never intrusive, never mechanical. Rather, the images move as the smoke – lingering, wafting, suspended briefly before disappearing and reappearing. With an authentic voice and authority born of their own heritage, filmmaker Anna Hints has created a transformative experience of being human within a female body, showing women “as they are” with great emotional veracity and deep empathy.
DocNights, in collaboration with Sheffield DocFest, is a monthly screening of documentary films taking place on the last Monday of every month.
This screening will be introduced by a member of the Sheffield DocFest team.
F-Rated: Directed by Anna Hints
- Director
- Anna Hints
- Year
- 2023
- Duration
- 1 hour 29 minutes
- Language
- Estonian, Seto, Võro with English subtitles
Explore

Showroom Cinema to Celebrate the Life and Work of David Lynch with Extensive Retrospective
Showroom Cinema Takes a Major Step Towards Energy Efficiency with Solar Panel Installation

The UK’s biggest festival of Japanese cinema returns to Sheffield

What are you looking for this Valentine’s Day?

Young People Plan Their Own Film Festival at Showroom Cinema This February!

LGBTQ+ History Month 2025 at Showroom Cinema