Steam Of Life

Synopsis

Naked Finnish men sit in the sauna and speak straight from their heart. In the warmth of rusty stoves these men cleanse themselves both physically and mentally. The film travels through Finland and the camera joins men in many different saunas to let us hear touching stories about love, death, birth and friendship – about life. In all of its simplicity, camera records the landscapes, saunas and men in almost magical pictures. The presence of the characters and the depth of the emotion reach the limit, rendering it almost intolerable to watch. This film reveals the naked souls of these men exceptionally intimately and creates a poetic portrayal of Finnish men.

Director Biography

Joonas Berghäll (born 1977) has been working as a producer at the Oktober production company since 2004. He has produced 4 documentary films and several shorts. Currently he has 3 ongoing film productions in different stages from advance planning to marketing. Berghäll graduated from the Tampere School of Art and Media in 2005.
Mika Hotakainen (born 1977) graduated as a fiction director in 2004 from a four-year educational program at the Helsinki Polytechnic University, Stadia. Mika has been working in the television and film industry since 1998. Previously he has directed the feature documentary “Freedom to Serve”. “Visitor” was his first professional short fiction. “Steam of Life” is Mika’s second feature documentary.