Breaking Barriers: Mathias Broe’s ‘Sauna’ Brings Denmark’s First Trans Lead to Sundance Spotlight
Mathias Broe’s ‘Sauna’ is a groundbreaking film for Denmark, featuring its first trans lead, Nina Rask, in the role of William. Broe explained, “It’s the first time we have a trans person in a leading role in a feature film in Denmark. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made this movie.”
The film, which features both professional and non-professional queer actors, aims to authentically depict queer stories. Broe emphasized, “We have to create a real story with real human beings,” and the film explores themes of love and conflict within the queer community.
Rask stars alongside Magnus Juhl Andersen, who plays Johan, a receptionist at a gay sauna. Broe noted that creating a story about trans men in such spaces was important: “A sauna is a good place to explore such conflict because for a trans guy, it’s hard to access these spaces.” The movie also tackles the different struggles within the LGBTQ+ community. Broe said, “When we think about the LGBTQ+ umbrella, everyone assumes it’s the same struggle, but people fight different fights.”
The film is based on Mads Ananda Lodahl’s novel and was produced by Mads-August Hertz with support from various Danish organizations. Broe reflected on the impact of the film, saying, “This community wants – and needs – to see themselves on the screen,” recalling a test screening where someone said, “I cried for two hours, because I realized I haven’t seen these images before.”
Broe also explored the generational divide in understanding gender identity, explaining, “The new generation talks about gender identity and wanting to change the language around pronouns, and the older generation either doesn’t understand it or finds it foolish.”
While the film’s tone is often somber, Broe shared how humor and lightness were brought by the screenwriter and producer. He admitted, “I’m drawn to darkness,” but wanted the film to be more than a typical coming-of-age story. Broe also discussed the challenges of depicting intimacy in the film, saying, “We cut out a lot of intimacy, but it was never about showing a lot of skin: it was about telling this story in the right way.”
In Sauna, sex is portrayed as “awkward and messy, beautiful and vulnerable,” with Broe wanting to show a more honest representation of intimacy. He believes that, “if people are not in touch with their bodies, with lust and desire, it can be very overwhelming to see others explore it” on screen.
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