In 2023, a bathhouse was the location that set in motion the main plot of the British queer erotic revenge thriller Femme. Two years later, a similar locale is equally important, albeit under far less dramatic circumstances, in the Danish drama Sauna, the feature debut of director Mathias Broe. Backed by TrustNordisk for its international prospects, the film should enjoy a healthy run in arthouse circles and on the festival circuit, owing to its Nordic pedigree and topical premise.
Based on a book by Danish author Mads Ananda Lodahl, who in turn drew on his working experience in Denmark and Germany, the film introduces its protagonist, Johan (Magnus Juhl Andersen) in the context of just another day at the office, so to speak: he’s on staff at Adonis, the only gay sauna in Copenhagen, and he’s no stranger to the notion of hooking up with muscular guys within the building’s steamy confines.
Then, one day, he meets William (Nina Rask), a trans man waiting to undergo surgery, and the chemistry between them is undeniable. However, William’s biological features make him a pariah in Adonis circles, where the queer identity is still associated with more traditional ideas of masculinity, and Johan has to figure out if their love is strong enough to overcome his desire to be part of that world.
There may or may not have been a certain irony in the naming of the protagonist’s workplace (especially since Adonis is actually the name of a beauty salon in Denmark), but overall the vibe is very serious and sincere, driven by Broe’s stated desire to depict the queer community he’s part of in ways not frequently shown on screen (a mission statement that already informed his award-winning short film Amfi, released in 2018).
Thus, in addition to the brief glimpses of conventional homoerotic activity inside the sauna, we get a detailed and layered look at the emotional bond of two individuals dealing with fluidity and its place within societal norms in different ways. Warm close-ups capture a longing in the lovers’ eyes that goes beyond the purely physical attraction, putting them at odds with a culture that is still very much obsessed with the classic (male) body shape.
Key to the power of the bond between the two main characters is the casting, a major step forward in representation: as has often been the case, the role of William was hard to cast, due to a general lack of trans actors in Denmark. The part was eventually given to actress and comedian Nina Rask, on the basis of her being a strong voice in the queer community and regularly questioning gender norms in her stand-up routines, and she is the first transgender performer to star in a Danish film.
She inhabits the character with vulnerability and confidence from the jump, finding her ideal scene partner in Magnus Juhl Andersen – like her, one of the more interesting up-and-coming Danish talents – and his honest approach to Johan’s self-conscious tightrope walk between two ends of a spectrum he sincerely endeavors to understand as fully as possible, trying to escape a narrower worldview he sometimes ends up trapped in. Their relationship comes across as messy, layered and real, showing the nuances of the world they live in beneath the mists of the sauna steam.
Director: Mathias Broe
Screenwriters: Mathias Broe, William Lippert
Cast: Magnus Juhl Andersen, Nina Rask, Dilan Amin, Klaus Tange
Producer: Mads-August Grarup Hertz
Cinematography: Nicolai Lok
Sound: Mia Terry
Production company: Nordisk Film Production A/S
World sales: TrustNordisk
Venue: Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Dramatic Competition)
In Danish, Swedish
105 minutes
Note: An earlier version of this review contained factual inaccuracies about the casting, due to a misinterpretation of the film’s press notes. The paragraph about Nina Rask has been amended to accurately reflect her identity.