Art Competition

Steam of Life

Year
2010
Country
Finland, Sweden
Duration
81’
Directors
Joonas Berghall, Mika Hotakainen

Joonas Berghall and Mika Hotakainen interviewed a dozen Finnish men as they sat in saunas and steam rooms, opening up to each other and the filmmaker team (a total of five extra naked men in each room when you factor in co-directors, cinematographer, sound recordist and camera operator) about hardships they've faced in life. Their stories range from harrowing to merely reflecting the complexities and frustrations modern men face trying to remain stoic and resilient despite being occasionally overwhelmed with the tragedy and beauty of life. The few moments of levity, a sardonic splash of water onto hot coals, a synchronized beer gulp and the gleeful reveal that one man keeps a grizzly bear as a pet, give relief when it's needed. No one in the room tries to soothe the person speaking or provide a greater context for their experiences. They stand back and give them the space to talk and with that comes an immediate, visible sense of catharsis. The filmmakers match the experience by keeping the shots simple, and the cutting in elegant, long takes.

Production
Oktober Oy, Uutiskatu 3, 00240 Helsinki, Finland, tel. +358 40 709 3331, [email protected] , http://oktoberoy.com/, Rode Orm Film AB, Box 38104, SE-100 64 Stockholm, Sweden, tel. +46(0)737-308 265, [email protected] , http://www.rodeormfilm.se/
Director
Joonas Berghall

Joonas Berghall was born in 1977 in Kemi. Producer, film director. Graduated in Film Producing from School of Art and Media at Tampere University of Applied Sciences in 2005. Since 2004, he has been running the company “Oktober”. He has been involved in film making since 1998.

Director
Mika Hotakainen

Mika Hotakainen was born in 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.

Selected Filmography

Freedom to Serve (2004), Steam of Life (2010)

22 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
 6 — 13 
June 2025
Arrhythmia
Art Competition
Arrhythmia
Year
2009
Country
Russia
Director
Svetlana Strelnikova
Duration
45’
Art Competition
Shanghai Banzai
Art Competition
Shanghai Banzai
Year
2010
Country
Lithuania
Director
Jurate Samulionyte
Duration
26’
Art Competition
The Player
Art Competition
The Player
Year
2009
Country
Netherlands
Director
John Appel
Duration
85’
Art Competition
Detroit Wild City
Art Competition
Detroit Wild City
Year
2010
Country
France
Director
Florent Tillon
Duration
80’
Art Competition
Kill the Day
Art Competition
Kill the Day
Year
2009
Country
Belarus, Poland
Directors
Andrei Kutsila, Aliaksandr Nalivaika
Duration
45’
Art Competition
Other Europe
Art Competition
Other Europe
Year
2011
Country
Italy
Director
Rossella Schillaci
Duration
75’
Art Competition
There Was Once an Island: Te Henua e Nnoho
Art Competition
There Was Once an Island: Te Henua e Nnoho
Year
2010
Country
New Zealand
Director
Briar March
Duration
80’
Art Competition
Scena del Crimine
Art Competition
Scena del Crimine
Year
2010
Country
The Netherlands
Director
Walter Stockman
Duration
74’
Art Competition
Karla’s Arrival
Art Competition
Karla’s Arrival
Year
2010
Country
Spain
Director
Koen Siudgeest
Duration
90’
Art Competition
The Olympic Man
Art Competition
The Olympic Man
Year
2009
Country
Latvia
Director
Viesturs Kairiss
Duration
80’
Art Competition
Out of Reach
Art Competition
Out of Reach
Year
2010
Country
Poland
Director
Jakub Stozek
Duration
30’
Art Competition
The Work of Machines
Art Competition
The Work of Machines
Year
2010
Country
Poland, Switzerland
Directors
Gilles Lepore, Maciej Madracki, Michal Madracki
Duration
38’
Art Competition
The Taste of a Cinnamon Roll
Art Competition
The Taste of a Cinnamon Roll
Year
2010
Country
Ukraine
Director
Mykyta Sitdikov
Duration
10’
Art Competition
In Case of Loss of Pressure
Art Competition
In Case of Loss of Pressure
Year
2009
Country
Belgium
Director
Sarah Moon Howe
Duration
46’
Art Competition
443
Art Competition
443
Year
2010
Country
Israel
Director
Erez Miller
Duration
52’
Art Competition