Miesten vuoro

Saunas have long been seen as a central tenant of Finnish culture and are often a significant marker of a cultural identity for Finland. In Steam of Life, a film directed by Joonas Berghall and Mika Hotakainen, is a Finnish documentary film that builds and explores the relationship between men and the ubiquitous Finnish Sauna. Steam of Life is a film could not have come from any other country as Berghall and Hotakainen use a unique documentary storytelling technique; most of the movie takes place almost entirely in or around saunas. It is almost as if this movie was a compilation of short films; a series of standalone stories with the connecting fiber that runs through them being that each small movie revolves around a life story told by men from within saunas. There is no continuity between each of these small segments, but individual story each packs an emotional punch as the men recount their personal stories. Despite this unlikely premise and the unconventional storytelling technique, this movie succeeds with flying colors.

Saunas are often a place of quiet, there is little to do except sit in the heat and perform ritualistic actions such as pouring water over hot coals. All the vigorous action such as the cleaning by dousing happens at the end of the sauna session. There is little else for one to do but sit, think, and reflect. The sauna is an intimate setting; one is often by his or herself or with one other person and it is always done naked. Yet this intimate setting is often done with members of the same sex, removing any sort of sexual coloring or influence. What is left is the perfect environment that fosters reflection and makes for a situation that allows one to share their troubles and past woes without judgment and to build relationships.

Like the naked bodies the audience is subjected to within the sauna, the stories that come along with are often just as ugly and not pleasing to bear witness too. They are both exposed in body and emotion. Something else that comes along with this that won't take a viewer long to notice is how the movie features almost exclusively men. Just before the credits, the film states that Steam of Life is dedicated to Finnish men, a sort of tribute. About midway through the movie, an army officer spills that he finds it hard to find time to feel weak or sorry, it is seen as a weakness in his environment. This can be extrapolated to a larger theme of the film. There are certain expectations that come along with gender, generally men are expected to be strong and brave and it is a sign of weakness to show emotion or sadness. This movie attempts to break down this barrier; the sauna is used as a small window of time that allows men to dwell on their troubles and share their woes without feeling as judged by society, or without their manhood questioned. Besides, when else would one share such stories except for a sauna?

The directors like to include wide-angle still shots, with the characters slowly moving across or away from the camera. While this may seem like rudimentary cinematic techniques, there is no camera movement or common techniques like using a hand-held camera—this would do a disservice to the beautiful cinematography and the themes of the movie. The focus is not excitement or the artistic techniques, but instead the men's stories. As I mentioned previously, the cinematography in Steam of Life beautiful-- Yes, most of the movie is inside of saunas (I had no idea there was so much variability in the settings of saunas: tents, small phone booths in fields, gyms, trailers, small cabins…-etc) but when the movie moves outside of the cramped rooms the viewer is treated to a visual feast which is the Finnish countryside. This also showcases another key cultural marker of Finland—the importance of nature and lakes in defining Finish identity.

US viewers might be at first disgusted and turned away when looking at this film at a glance, we are not used to seeing full nudity in movies—and even less used to seeing non-beautiful men nude. If you start to feel this way, I beg for you to press on. If you do press forward with Steam of Life, you will be treated to a beautiful film—while not in actors--cinematically, and an emotionally powerful film on a little explored topic—men's emotions. There may not be exactly an agenda or a specific plot to Steam of Life, but this documentary gives the viewer the opportunity to have their own take away and form their own opinions about the film as a whole.