''Sauna'', also known as ''Filth'' or ''Evil Rising'', is a 2008 Finnish horror film directed by Antti-Jussi Annila. The film was awarded three

Jussi Awards The Jussi Awards are Finland's premier film industry prizes, awarded annually to recognize the achievements of directors, actors, and writers. History The first Jussi Awards ceremony was held on 16 November 1944 at the Restaurant Adlon in Hels ...

in 2009: the best sound design, the best scenography and the best costumes. In addition, the film was nominated for best lead actor ( Ville Virtanen), best lead actor (

Tommi Eronen Tommi Johannes Eronen (born 18 September 1968) is a Finnish actor, best known for starring in the movies '' Jade Warrior'' (2006) and '' Bad Luck Love'' (2000). His performance in ''Bad Luck Love'' garnered him a Jussi Award for Best Supporting ...

) and best editing.

Premise

At the end of the

Russo-Swedish War Wars between Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and ...

(1590-1595), brothers Knut and Eerik are tasked with marking the border between

Finland under Swedish rule In Swedish and Finnish history, Finland under Swedish rule is the historical period when the bulk of the area that later came to constitute Finland was an integral part of Sweden. The starting point of Swedish rule is uncertain and controversia ...

and the

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I ...

. Eerik is a cartographer hardened by a long war and studied in Stockholm. On the way, the brothers kill the peasant and leave his daughter in the basement to die, but in the marshes of the north, the ghost of the girl returns to persecute them. Upon arriving at a mysterious village in the middle of swamp, the brothers find a

sauna A sauna (, ), or sudatory, is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a ...

in which they hope to be washed of their sins.

Cast

Release

Home media

The film was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

by Mpi Home Video on October 27, 2009. The DVD has been released in the Nordic countries as well as in

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, Australia and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, as well as on

blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...

.Evil Rising AKA Sauna AKA Sauna — Wash Your Sins (Blu-ray) (2008).
DVDCompare.net.

Reception

French

film review Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlet ...

website ''CinemaFantastique.net'' awarded it 3/4, praising the film's atmosphere, cinematography, and for effectively capturing the 16th century period. However, they criticized the film's non-linear story, and dialogue which made it difficult to fully understand the film. James Gillett from ''Digital Retribution'' gave the film a score of 4/5, writing, "''Sauna'' is an impressive film; thematically rich and stunningly realised. It's the kind of horror movie seldom seen. Those who occasionally enjoy something a little more cerebral than your average horror effort will find themselves with a deeply rewarding and engaging film. Wash your sins. Step inside..." David Nusair from ''Reel Film Reviews'', however, panned the film, awarding it no stars out of four, calling it "An abominable, utterly worthless piece of work".

References

External links

* * * * Fiction set in 1595 2008 horror films 2000s historical horror films 2000s supernatural horror films Folk horror films Films set in the 1590s Films set in Finland Films set in Russia Films shot in the Czech Republic Films shot in Finland Finnish horror films 2008 films Films scored by Panu Aaltio {{2000s-horror-film-stub