Rob Munday
Making friends and finding your own space within a community has never seemed harder. Much has already been written about how developments in technology have pushed us further apart and increased isolated feelings throughout society, but are there still places that exist where we can go to be together and enjoy a little conversation? In Scandinavia, the sauna is a location that people frequent not only for its health benefits, but also for a little social time. Exploring this hallowed space and the etiquette involved inside, with Sauna Rules co-directors Morten Schmidt and Thomas Diepeveen peel away the layers to show what it’s like for an outsider to try and enter this tight-knit community.
A regular attendee of the sauna himself, Schmidt reveals that ever since immersing himself in the sweltering environment he has “wanted to make a film about this fascinating place where strangers are completely naked just inches from each other”. Recent S/W pick Hot Mother showcased one way in which you can reverse the relaxing vibe of this confined location, by setting it as a place of survival, but in Sauna Rules Schmidt and Diepeveen transform it into a psychological battleground where the temperature rises because of contrasting perspectives.
“It can be pretty hard to make friends and be genuinely welcomed into the community”
“In Denmark, we have a strong sauna culture, especially among our seniors, who like to spend their early mornings together in the sauna, discussing everything from politics to bus schedules”, Schmidt explains as we discuss the inspiration behind his storyline. “From the outside, a community like this — despite its typically conservative worldview — seems like a dream scenario for most senior citizens. But, as with many communities, it can be pretty hard to make friends and be genuinely welcomed into the community if you are from a different background or culture. This led me to the creation of the main character ‘Ali’, and together with him, we dive into the mind-boggling world of the Danish saunas”.
Although the steam room setting is very specific to Scandinavia, Sauna Rules excels through its relatability. This isn’t just a film about a man trying to find friends within this one particular community, this is a tale of language barriers, cultural differences and prejudice. For Ali, he’s the outsider here because he’s new to this world and doesn’t know the rules involved with approaching people and joining discussions. So in the end, to make himself part of this group of men he does something which seems to go against his gentle demeanour. It’s not behaviour you associate with the older generation, but again it’s behaviour we’ve all probably been guilty of ourselves, hurting others to make yourself feel better. In the end, although Ali gets his wish and is (kind-of) welcomed into this “gang”, it’s a painful watch and you cringe at the price he has to pay just to try to fit in.
Imad Abul-Foul as Ali an elderly man looking to make friends at the sauna.
Capturing the unique environment of the location, Sauna Rules throws us into its setting alongside Ali, as we witness his unease with the etiquette involved in being in a place he’s not entirely comfortable – a feeling that’s captured not with words, but through body language and the fact he showers in a loincloth, when everyone else is naked. We’re then thrown into the confines of the actual sauna, alongside our lead character and four other men, with the cinematography intent on making us feel like an outsider alongside Ali.
Sauna Rules is an impressive production, it’s not doing anything “showy”, but it doesn’t need to. To really make its message hits home it needs to immerse its viewers and that’s exactly what it does, by keeping things simple. It’s a sign of confident direction, which is somewhat surprising considering Schmidt and Diepeveen didn’t even intend to take on this task themselves. With Schmidt having written the script, his original director jumped ship and so his good friend (and actor) Diepeveen convinced him to take the role himself. “I then got Thomas on board as a co-director — he focused on directing the actors, and I focused on everything else”, Schmidt explains. “It was a first for both of us, and we learned a lot throughout the process”.
Sauna Rules is an impressive piece even if you ignore the fact that it’s the first time directing for Schmidt and Diepeveen. It’s a confined and somewhat simple story, but it leaves you with plenty to digest after its refreshingly brief seven-minute run-time is over. Asking the question: what would you compromise to fit in? It feels like Ali sold a small piece of his soul just to feel a part of something, but is that a price worth paying?