FRAMELINE 49: SAUNA

Exploring his blossoming sexuality in the vibrant Copenhagen nightlife, young Johan (Magnus Juhl Andersen) works at a popular bathhouse and meets local hookups on the apps. When one online connection turns out to be a trans man named William (Nina Rask), Johan is unsure of how to proceed but immediately taken in by William’s charm. Their tryst blooms into a torrid affair that opens Johan up to an entire new world, meeting William’s trans friends and learning the daily struggles they face as they fight for access to surgery and hormones. Johan is also unexpectedly confronted with the persistent social norms that still exist in the gay community and is forced to question whether he has what it takes to push back.

Writer-director Mathias Broe’s Sauna is a confident debut feature, avoiding any easy tropes by delving headfirst into the complexities of queer relationships and the clashes that erupt within them. Complimenting Broe’s direction are the raw and striking lead performances by Andersen and Rask, which make Johan and William such indelible, real characters.