What to watch: Sauna
A story of identity and belonging in Copenhagen.
Written and directed by Mathias Broe, Sauna centres on Johan (Magnus Juhl Andersen) - a young guy working in a sauna in Copenhagen.
Based on the book by Mads Ananda Lodahl, Johan is longing for intimacy and connection. Using a hook-up app, Johan connects with William (Nina Rask) - a trans man.
For Johan, the sauna feels like a second home, but for William it becomes a place of rejection.
The challenges that they navigate in order to be together raise questions about identity and belonging within the queer community.
“I had never seen a love story between a trans gay man and a cis gay man before...” explains Mathias Broe. “So I was really excited to bring new perspectives to queer cinema. I understood both characters on a deep emotional level, and the story depicts so many of the questions you face as an LGBTQ+ person. It’s also a very personal story to me, since my own partner started transitioning while making Sauna.”
With strong, believable performances from his actors, this is thoughtful storytelling from Broe - his feature-length debut. Highlighting the messiness of queerness - particularly in terms of identity and desire - but also the universality of our need for intimacy and connection.
Sauna is distributed by Breaking Glass Picture - The film releases globally on 18 November.
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