Smoke Sauna Sisterhood

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (Võro: Savvusanna sõsarad, lit.'Sisters of the smoke sauna') is a 2023 documentary film written and directed by Anna Hints in her feature directorial debut.[3] It is about a group of women who gather in a smoke sauna where they clean the dirt from their ashamed and aching bodies.[4] It was selected as the Estonian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[5] It is a co-production between Estonia, France and Iceland.[6]

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood
Theatrical release poster
EstonianSavvusanna sõsarad
Directed byAnna Hints
Written byAnna Hints
Produced byMarianne Ostrat
CinematographyAnts Tammik
Edited byQutaiba Barhamji
Anna Hints
Hendrik Mägar
Martin Männik
Tushar Prakash
Music byEdvard Egilsson
EETER
Production
companies
Alexandra Film
Kepler 22 Productions
Ursus Parvus
Release dates
  • 22 January 2023 (2023-01-22) (Sundance)
  • 23 March 2023 (2023-03-23) (Estonia)
Running time
90 minutes[1]
CountriesEstonia
France
Iceland
LanguagesEstonian
Seto
Võro
Box office$410,652[2]

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 22 January 2023,[7] where it competed in the World Cinema Documentary Competition and won the Directing Award at the World Cinema Documentary Competition.[8]

Release

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Festivals

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Smoke Sauna Sisterhood had its world premiere on 22 January 2023, at the Sundance Film Festival,[9] then it was screened on 17 March of that year at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival,[10] on 31 March at the Stockfish Film Festival,[11] on 23 April at the San Francisco International Film Festival,[12] on 13 May at the Millennium Docs Against Gravity,[13] on 18 May at the Barcelona Documentary Film Festival,[14] on 19 May at the Seattle International Film Festival,[15] on 24 June at the Filmfest München,[16] on 31 July at the New Zealand International Film Festival,[17] on 4 August at the Melbourne International Film Festival[18] and on 29 September in the Documentary Competition at the Zurich Film Festival.

Theatrical

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It was commercially released on 23 March 2023, in Estonian theaters.[19] It was released at cinemas in the UK and Ireland from 13 October 2023.[20]

Reception

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Critical reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 48 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Running the gamut from tears to laughter, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood finds cinematic poetry in the simple act of observing conversation."[21] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[22]

Accolades

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Year Award / Festival Category Recipient Result Ref.
2023 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary Smoke Sauna Sisterhood Nominated [23]
World Cinema Documentary - Directing Award Anna Hints Won
Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival Next:Wave Award Smoke Sauna Sisterhood Nominated [24]
Hong Kong International Film Festival Documentary Competition - Firebird Award Nominated [25]
San Francisco International Film Festival Best Documentary Feature Won [26]
Filmfest München CineRebels Award Nominated [27]
2023 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival Outstanding Female-Led Feature Film Won [28]
19th Zurich Film Festival Documentary Competition Nominated [29]
27th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival Best Baltic Film Won [30]
European Film Awards Best Documentary Won [31]
IDA Documentary Awards Best Cinematography Ants Tammik Won [32]
Best Writing Anna Hints Nominated [33]
Beldocs Eurimages Audentia Award Anna Hints Won [34]
2024 17th Cinema Eye Honors Outstanding Cinematography Ants Tammik Won [35]
Outstanding Sound Design Huldar Freyr Arnarson and Edvard Egilsson Nominated
Outstanding Debut Smoke Sauna Sisterhood Nominated
Audience Choice Prize Nominated
35th PGA Awards Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures Marianne Ostrat Nominated [36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Raigla, Malle-Liisa (24 March 2023). ""Savvusanna sõsarad" juhatab sisse Anna Hints". Lääne Elu (in Estonian). Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (2023)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 14 April 2024. 
  3. ^ "Ilmus Anna Hintsi "Savvusanna sõsarad" täispikk treiler". ERR (in Estonian). 17 February 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Kultuurinädalavahetus: "Savvusanna sõsarad"". Hiiumaa (in Estonian). Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  5. ^ "SUITSUSAUNA VÄGI KESTAB ⟩ Eesti esitab Oscarile "Savvusanna sõsarad"". Film (in Estonian). 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Estonian movie 'Smoke Sauna Sisterhood' put forward for next year's Oscars". ERR. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  8. ^ "FOTOD | Saun, mis vabastab häbist ja valust. Sundance'il võidutsenud "Savvusanna sõsarad" esilinastus kodumaal". Eesti Päevaleht (in Estonian). Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  9. ^ ERR (8 December 2022). "Anna Hintsi "Savvusanna sõsarad" esilinastub Sundance'i filmifestivalil". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  10. ^ Cunningham, Nick (22 March 2023). "CPH:DOX Next:Wave: Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Anna Hints". Business Doc Europe. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  11. ^ "SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD". Stockfish kvikmynda og bransahátíð. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood". SFFILM. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  13. ^ Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, retrieved 21 August 2023
  14. ^ "El festival de cine documental de Barcelona que denuncia las violencias patriarcales". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 10 May 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  15. ^ "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood". www.siff.net. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  16. ^ "SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD". www.filmfest-muenchen.de. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  17. ^ New Zealand International Film Festival: Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, retrieved 21 August 2023
  18. ^ "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood". MIFF 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  19. ^ "KULTUURIS KUUM ⟩ Haavatavusest ja vägivallast "Savvusanna sõsarate" režissööri Anna Hintsiga". Film (in Estonian). 22 March 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  20. ^ ERR, ERR | (9 October 2023). "Estonian movie Smoke Sauna Sisterhood hits UK and Irish cinemas this fall". ERR. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood". Metacritic. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  23. ^ "The Complete List of 2023 Sundance Film Festival Award Winners - sundance.org". 27 January 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  24. ^ Cunningham, Nick (24 March 2023). "CPH:DOX 2023: And the winners are..." Business Doc Europe. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  25. ^ "Stonewalling, 'Apolonia, Apolonia', Totem Among Winners of Hong Kong Film Festival 2023 Firebird Awards". VIMooZ. 9 April 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  26. ^ "'Smoke Sauna Sisterhood' wins best documentary award in San Francisco". ERR. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  27. ^ "CineRebels Award". www.filmfest-muenchen.de. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  28. ^ "Cinéfest reveals 2023 award winners". Sudbury.com, 28 September 2023.
  29. ^ "Smoke Sauna Sisterhood". zff.com. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  30. ^ "GALLERY I PÖFF announces the winners". poff.ee. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  31. ^ Melanie Goodfellow (9 December 2023). "Justine Triet's 'Anatomy Of A Fall' Sweeps European Film Awards Winning Best Film, Director, Screenplay & Actress For Sandra Hüller – Full Winners List". Deadline. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  32. ^ Lewis, Hilary (13 December 2023). "IDA Documentary Awards: 'Bobi Wine: The People's President' Wins Best Feature". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  33. ^ Carey, Matthew (21 November 2023). "'Apolonia, Apolonia,' 'The Mother Of All Lies,' 'Milisuthando' Lead Way As IDA Documentary Awards Announces Nominees – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  34. ^ Marko Stojiljković, "Thiiird and A Field Guide to Coastal Fortifications come out on top at the 16th Beldocs". Cineuropa, 17 May 2023.
  35. ^ ERR (16 January 2024). ""Savvusanna sõsarate" operaator Ants Tammik võitis New Yorgis Cinema Eye Honors auhinna". ERR (in Estonian). Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  36. ^ Pedersen, Erik (12 December 2023). "Producers Guild Awards Reveals Documentary Film Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
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