Naked Finnish men in saunas speak straight from the heart and, in the warmth of rusty stoves, cleanse themselves, both physically and mentally, towards the film’s deeply emotional and unforgettable finale. The film travels through Finland joining men of all walks of life in many different saunas to let us hear their touching stories about love, death, birth, and friendship ─ about life. In all its simplicity the camera records the raw and rare beauty of landscapes, saunas and men in almost magical pictures. The presence of the characters and the depth of their emotion reaches a limit where it is almost intolerable for the viewer to watch. Steam of Life reveals the men’s naked souls in an exceptionally intimate and poetic way. –European Film Academy
Hot sweaty men talk about life - and show that anything can be turned into a sauna. "Sometimes it's good to talk."
The stories of hardships that these men share and the veils of masculinity they often rely on to cope under these pressures makes it harder for them to emotionally confide in their fellow man. Feelings of loss, isolation and rejection slip away in these saunas and we're left with a delicate and touching documentary that shows the communal healing power of self-reflection through simple conversation.
I wish more people would make more of such tragicomic, weird and warm and special films like this one. See it if you get the chance, simply because you will probably never get the opportunity to see anything like it again.
The Films of Joseph Sarno is Anthology Film Archives' tribute to the "New York sexploitation legend," featuring five works screening from
This movie is a beautiful insight into a nations mentality and culture. It explores the prejudice on mens ability to show and speak about their feelings. For finnish men the speaking and feeling happens… read review
