The Queer Community Steps onto the Big Screen
With SAUNA, the first Danish queer drama feature film, Nordisk Film marks a breakthrough in Danish filmmaking. The film helps shine a light on representation and diversity in major Danish film productions.
In SAUNA, we follow the identity-confused Johan and the transgender William as they navigate Copenhagen’s queer community. The film goes beyond simply portraying queer characters, many of the people behind the film are active members of the community. Producer Mads-August Grarup Hertz from Nordisk Film Production hopes audiences will feel authenticity beyond the cinema screen.
“With SAUNA, we have created an important film that minority groups can see themselves reflected in, while also inviting an outside audience in. We engage with the polarized debate on gender and sexuality and highlight the universal human experience in what might feel alienating to some,” says Mads-August Grarup Hertz.
He also stresses that Nordisk Film carries a responsibility to challenge norms and stereotypes in filmmaking.
“As the largest production company in the Nordics, I believe we have a great responsibility to create stories that represent all kinds of people in our society, so that we can better understand each other’s perspectives and views of the world.”
The film’s lead role, Johan, played by Magnus Juhl Andersen, falls in love with William, portrayed by Nina Rask. Johan longs for a sense of community that he believes he will find in the gay sauna Adonis. But when he meets William, he experiences for the first time a community that is empathetic, caring, and activist driven.
SAUNA, the feature debut of both director Mathias Broe and screenwriter William Lipperts, has received praise from both audiences and critics alike, and was selected for the prestigious Sundance Film Festival 2025.