There are over two million saunas in Finland-an average of one for each household. If walls could talk, as the saying goes, the walls of these saunas would have hundreds of millions of stories like the ones in this film to tell. Steam of Life was more real and revealing than I expected it to be in many ways. The stereotype that men, especially those from Nordic countries, are more stoic and less emotional is completely negated by this film. When I think of the typical Nordic male, I think of someone hardened by years of harsh weather and the attitude of "keep your private life private" commonly held in that part of the world. Steam of Life showed me the exact opposite. It is an interesting film about Finnish men baring it all-literally and metaphorically.
Although nudity is common in Nordic films, the nudity in this documentary shocked me a little bit. Perhaps I was expecting less of it because I had the idea of a more formal interview-based documentary in mind. Perhaps it was because nudity in films is usually sexual. In the end, I realized that the camera angles the filmmakers used were intentional. The men telling their stories weren't hiding anything, so the cameras weren't going to either. Their bodies also told a story of their lives-some fit, some neglected, some old and worn, others young. It makes sense that they decided to use such a powerful metaphor. I just think they could've used less to get the point across.
While many of the stories were quite touching, there were a couple of anecdotes I really felt drawn to. I enjoyed the story one man told about his grandparents, and more specifically his grandfather. As a boy, he and his grandpa always chopped and stacked wood for the woodshed. This is how he remembers his grandfather-a man who was always chopping wood. Later in life, his grandpa gets dementia and moves to a nursing home. Even though he didn't always remember who the people were who visited, he always asked about how big his woodpile was. One day, when the man who was telling the story visited his grandfather and filled him in on the status of the woodpile, the old man started to cry and apologize. The storyteller later realized that his grandfather was trying to stockpile enough wood to provide for his wife for the rest of her life. I found this story of love and dedication very sweet. It reminded me of my own grandparents, who I watched go through the stages of Alzheimer's. I also have spent lots of time creating woodpiles with others and I realize how strong of a bond people can create when doing such hard work together.
The other story I liked was the man who raised orphaned bear cubs. I thought it was cute how it was not clear right away that he was talking about a bear. It was nice to see the film portray not only a man who has a soft spot for his pets, but also a seemingly dangerous animal that has a soft spot for his caretaker. This sketch also tied two important Finnish aspects together-nature and saunas! Even the bears take saunas sometimes.
One thing I thought was kind of artistic and interesting was the transitions used in this documentary. One does not necessarily think of documentaries as being artistic and symbolic, but this one definitely was at times. Between each of the stories, and during some of them, the camera cut to a scene of water being thrown on the sauna rocks. This always signaled a shift in emotions, right before things "heated up," literally and emotionally. There were several different types of sauna rocks show in this film. This just shows how each sauna, like each story, is different from the rest.
All documentaries are intended to enlighten and teach the viewer something. Before this film, I knew saunas were popular in Finland. However, I did not realize the huge cultural and spiritual significance behind them. The saunas are an important part of Finnish life. There are saunas in businesses, public saunas, roadside saunas the size of a telephone booth, and saunas in mines. I read once that most Finns take a sauna at least once a week and the process can take hours. All these saunas provide people with a sense of community and support, a place to go where they will not be judged or ridiculed, a place where they can go to get things off their chests. It seems almost like a religious thing to me, and it definitely has a spiritual quality to it. It seems that the sauna is like a sanctuary-a safe place for all to go. I found that to be interesting because of all the Nordic countries, Finland is the only one that is becoming more religious. The rest are becoming increasingly secularized. Maybe sauna counts as a religion? It definitely has the accepting, forgiving nature many religions claim to have.
My reaction to this film was tepid-definitely not as hot as the saunas it portrayed. Although parts of this movie were interesting and some were very emotional and engaging, other parts were not. I found myself checking my watch at point because the film did seem to be long, even at only 80 minutes. There are definitely some stories that are less engaging. I think if I understood Finnish it would be more meaningful, but I feel that meaning and emotion are sometimes lost in the English subtitles, especially when the scene was shot entirely in the sauna. However, overall I think there are some valuable things this film has to offer. It gives a glimpse into the everyday lives and of Finns but also into their life-defining moments, like the death of a child. It paints a good picture of the sense of community Finns have, and I think everyone can learn from that.
Although nudity is common in Nordic films, the nudity in this documentary shocked me a little bit. Perhaps I was expecting less of it because I had the idea of a more formal interview-based documentary in mind. Perhaps it was because nudity in films is usually sexual. In the end, I realized that the camera angles the filmmakers used were intentional. The men telling their stories weren't hiding anything, so the cameras weren't going to either. Their bodies also told a story of their lives-some fit, some neglected, some old and worn, others young. It makes sense that they decided to use such a powerful metaphor. I just think they could've used less to get the point across.
While many of the stories were quite touching, there were a couple of anecdotes I really felt drawn to. I enjoyed the story one man told about his grandparents, and more specifically his grandfather. As a boy, he and his grandpa always chopped and stacked wood for the woodshed. This is how he remembers his grandfather-a man who was always chopping wood. Later in life, his grandpa gets dementia and moves to a nursing home. Even though he didn't always remember who the people were who visited, he always asked about how big his woodpile was. One day, when the man who was telling the story visited his grandfather and filled him in on the status of the woodpile, the old man started to cry and apologize. The storyteller later realized that his grandfather was trying to stockpile enough wood to provide for his wife for the rest of her life. I found this story of love and dedication very sweet. It reminded me of my own grandparents, who I watched go through the stages of Alzheimer's. I also have spent lots of time creating woodpiles with others and I realize how strong of a bond people can create when doing such hard work together.
The other story I liked was the man who raised orphaned bear cubs. I thought it was cute how it was not clear right away that he was talking about a bear. It was nice to see the film portray not only a man who has a soft spot for his pets, but also a seemingly dangerous animal that has a soft spot for his caretaker. This sketch also tied two important Finnish aspects together-nature and saunas! Even the bears take saunas sometimes.
One thing I thought was kind of artistic and interesting was the transitions used in this documentary. One does not necessarily think of documentaries as being artistic and symbolic, but this one definitely was at times. Between each of the stories, and during some of them, the camera cut to a scene of water being thrown on the sauna rocks. This always signaled a shift in emotions, right before things "heated up," literally and emotionally. There were several different types of sauna rocks show in this film. This just shows how each sauna, like each story, is different from the rest.
All documentaries are intended to enlighten and teach the viewer something. Before this film, I knew saunas were popular in Finland. However, I did not realize the huge cultural and spiritual significance behind them. The saunas are an important part of Finnish life. There are saunas in businesses, public saunas, roadside saunas the size of a telephone booth, and saunas in mines. I read once that most Finns take a sauna at least once a week and the process can take hours. All these saunas provide people with a sense of community and support, a place to go where they will not be judged or ridiculed, a place where they can go to get things off their chests. It seems almost like a religious thing to me, and it definitely has a spiritual quality to it. It seems that the sauna is like a sanctuary-a safe place for all to go. I found that to be interesting because of all the Nordic countries, Finland is the only one that is becoming more religious. The rest are becoming increasingly secularized. Maybe sauna counts as a religion? It definitely has the accepting, forgiving nature many religions claim to have.
My reaction to this film was tepid-definitely not as hot as the saunas it portrayed. Although parts of this movie were interesting and some were very emotional and engaging, other parts were not. I found myself checking my watch at point because the film did seem to be long, even at only 80 minutes. There are definitely some stories that are less engaging. I think if I understood Finnish it would be more meaningful, but I feel that meaning and emotion are sometimes lost in the English subtitles, especially when the scene was shot entirely in the sauna. However, overall I think there are some valuable things this film has to offer. It gives a glimpse into the everyday lives and of Finns but also into their life-defining moments, like the death of a child. It paints a good picture of the sense of community Finns have, and I think everyone can learn from that.
