clarapatarchi

This film moved me more than I was expecting. Following a group of women through the year, and with the focus of the practical and cultural significance of the sauna from birth to death, with elements of the spiritual, this was an intimate and often raw experience. The setting is beautiful and evocative of the lived experience for these women. Knowing more about Finland than Estonia, I enjoyed the similarities of language and culture. From the women's conversations, much is shared regarding societal expectations, the changing nature and attitudes of the society and the legacy of what has gone before.