Directed by Mathias Broe, Sauna is a Danish romantic drama that is presently showing at several film festivals. Based on the book by Mads Ananda Lodahl, Magnus Juhl Andersen plays Johan, a gay man in Copenhagen who freely has casual sex at the gay sauna where he works. However, he unexpectedly develops a deeper romantic bond with William (Nina Rask), a trans man.
This film is making history, being the first Danish film to have a transgender actor play the lead role.
Director Mathias Broe says, “This sauna [in the film] has looked the same since the 1970s. If a culture is not being challenged or pushed, or isn’t open to change, it will be stuck in time.”
Broe’s screenplay guides us through every step, from changing in the locker area to moving through and finding a secluded space for enjoyment. Johan gets naked as William changes with a towel, and he still feels self-conscious even when he wears a top inside the sauna. William doesn’t begin to unwind until he and Johan discover a private, secure area, but the sauna’s transphobic proprietor soon chases them out.
Sauna was a nominee for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
Watch the trailer below
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