How Estonian Documentary ‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’ Helped a Broken Woman Heal

Anna Hints’ “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood” is the Estonian entry in the Oscars Best International Feature Film race, and the only documentary among Estonia’s 21 submissions in the category. The film takes place in a “smoke sauna,” a rural type of sauna that is a central part of the rural culture in areas of Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The film pays attention to the rituals of the smoke sauna, which takes hours to heat up before it’s ready, but its focus is on the stories that are told inside its walls, where women feel free to unburden themselves and speak frankly about matters both benign and dark.