Baths of this Floating World, The

Malek Bensmail
France, documentary, 2002
76 mins. (Beta)
(French with English subtitles)

At a time when spas centres are popping-up every day, this film takes a look at the world of public baths and the people who frequent them, exploring four great bathing traditions in different parts of the world - Hungarian thermal baths, Turkish Hammam, Finnish sauna and Japanese onsen and sento baths. In these cultures, bathing is an art and integral part of the local lifestyle with ritual significance.