SAUNA

Synopsis

Johan is an ordinary young man who keeps all doors open when it comes to both love and sex. He has landed a job as a receptionist at Adonis, Copenhagen's only gay sauna, where he not only works but also shares experiences and encounters with the sauna's other guests. For Johan, the city is like a boundless paradise of opportunities with bars, parties, and one-night stands, but it is only when he meets the transgender William that he experiences love up close. The love between the two is put to a tough test, as is often the case when living in a society governed by rigid ideas about gender, love, and identity.

Statement of the director

With SAUNA, we set out to create a love story for the next generation. As a queer person, I’ve often struggled to find films that authentically reflect my own life and experiences with love. This project stems from a deeply personal place – the desire to craft something that feels genuine and relatable to me and to many others who long for representation that resonates.
Being part of the queer community, I’ve witnessed the complexities of how different groups within the LGBTQ+ spectrum navigate love and identity. One of our key ambitions with SAUNA was to portray these nuanced dynamics – the unseen paradigms that shape our lives and relationships – in a way that only someone within the community can truly capture.
The film’s protagonists, Johan and William, come from contrasting worlds. Johan is steeped in a cis-gay culture dominated by quick hook-ups and hypermasculine desires. William, a trans man, inhabits a different reality altogether. When their paths cross, Johan’s world is upended. He projects his longing, confusion, and vulnerabilities onto William, creating an intense connection that is both deeply intimate and profoundly challenging. Their story explores a love that grows impossibly close yet remains out of reach – a tragic dynamic reminiscent of the most iconic love stories, but told through circumstances rarely, if ever, seen in cinema.
At its heart, SAUNA is about more than just love; it’s a reflection of the political and social questions that resonate within the queer experience. I hope this film not only touches audiences on an emotional level but also fosters greater awareness and understanding of the diverse realities within our community.
Creating SAUNA has been a profoundly moving journey. The support from Denmark’s queer community has been overwhelming, transforming this film into a true collective effort. It’s been a testament to the power of storytelling to bring people together, and I’m incredibly excited to share this labour of love with the world.