Steam: The Turkish Bath

Country: Italy/Turkey 1997

Picture and details imdb

Seen 26 April 2006

Do not expect explicit erotic scenes or romps in the steam bath. What you get is a sensitive potrayal of one man’s discovery of himself. The discovery does not cover only his sexual side but also what makes him tick and what makes life worth living. His aunt who left him the steam bath or hamam in Turkish was discovering herself too a long time ago. The story is interspersed with readings from the aunt’s letter to her sister, Francesco’s mother (the hero).

At first, he wants to sell the place as soon as possible and continue with his career as an architect in Italy. His first encounter of a hamam and the aunt’s letters changed the course of his life and those around him. The ending is a slight departure from what the audience would expect.

The acting was low key as the story takes its time to unfold. There are moments when the nuances might be lost in the translation as the dialogue is in Turkish. Be patient when watching the movie.