Last year, almost 1,800 crimes based on people's sexual orientation and gender identity were recorded by the police in Germany. The truth is: Queer and transphobia have been increasing again in recent years, thanks to ultra-conservative governments and right-wing forces! They stir up sentiment against the LGBT community and stir up resentment.
But even among queer people there is minority and, not least, transphobia. A marginalized group that is itself hostile and intolerant? Yes, that sounds contradictory and bizarre, but it is a (bitter) reality. Mathias Broe deals with this complex, exciting topic, among other things, in his queer love drama “Sauna”. Anyone who addresses transphobia, especially among gay or bisexual men, can sometimes “look forward” to aggressive, or at least ambivalent, verbal reactions. The two main characters in “Sauna” have exactly these experiences.
When Johan (Magnus Juhl Andersen) falls in love with the trans man William (Nina Rask), he runs into problems in the gay community of all places…
Johan (Magnus Juhl Andersen) has moved from the constricting Danish countryside to Copenhagen and can freely pursue his homosexuality in the capital. He works in the city's only gay sauna, has many one-night stands and enjoys his fleeting, superficial encounters. But his sexual adventures don't make him happy in the long run. When he meets William (Nina Rask) – a trans man – unexpectedly deep feelings arise. Johan falls head over heels in love with his sensitive peer, who is in the middle of transition. However, since their relationship does not conform to social norms, the two soon face some challenges…
Broe's debut film follows a young, attractive man in his search for sex and erotic encounters in the first third. Johan stands up for himself and his sexuality, but he quickly realizes that after a certain amount of time, the seamless one-night stands lead to inner emptiness and monotony. At this point, “Sauna” critically questions the over-sexualized gay dating culture, which is not always, but often, about quick gratification of desire. In the same breath, the film addresses the possible consequences for the individual: from loneliness to alienation to emotional dullness.
Addicted to dating apps
How much the hunt for the next sex date determines Johan's everyday life is shown in many casually interspersed scenes. They symptomatically show how much his life is dominated by dark rooms, Grindr and the next thrill. He can rarely put his smartphone aside, and even going to the toilet is impossible without the dating app. At the same time, “Sauna” celebrates the inner freedom of its self-confident protagonist in all its varieties and facets. His sexuality, lived to the fullest, appears to be something completely normal and everyday.
The sex scenes are quite explicit, especially on an acoustic level (moans, loud breathing), but the darkness of the dark rooms only allows us to imagine a lot of things. This also applies to the dimly lit, intoxicating moments on the dance floors of queer clubs. Only with William does some peace return to Johan's life, whom Magnus Juhl Andersen embodies with considerable dedication and great sensitivity. Broes stages the moments between Johan and William with great respect and an equally unconditional intensity. This applies, for example, to the phase of getting to know each other and carefree situations during a trip to the sea on a beautiful, late summer afternoon. The last rays of summer and the dazzling light in some of these stirring, carefree and carefree moments are a successful contrast to the sequences in darker, dimly lit locations such as nightclubs and dark rooms.
Despite difficult topics, there is still room for humor
The courageous, lustful sex scenes between Johan and William are often punctuated with tongue-in-cheek humor. Because Broe's penchant for disarming, hearty humor shines through here very often. For example, when he picks up a story from Johan's youth (it's about the awakening of his own sexuality) towards the end and visualizes it using body fluids. A metaphorically extremely apt scene, also wonderfully exaggerated, self-ironic and with a liberating physicality.
It is somewhat unfortunate that it is difficult to get to the bottom of Johan's inner feelings and emotions. He remains difficult to grasp until the end, not least because we don't get much information about him and his background. “Sauna” only briefly addresses the problems with his parents, who cannot accept Johan’s homosexuality. Incidentally, the film title is a bit unfortunate. There is a risk that it creates a misleading impression or raises false expectations. Although some scenes take place in the Adonis gay sauna where Johan works, these only make up a fraction of the total running time of 105 minutes.
The scenes in the eponymous sauna don't take up that much space – but there are several sequences in dimly lit clubs and dark rooms.
Rather, the focus is on the fragile love of two men whose relationship has to survive against some external adversity. “Sauna” also deals with the taboo but important topic of transphobia within the gay scene, which was already mentioned at the beginning. Johan and William are soon confronted with exclusionary, intolerant behavior from parts of the gay community. This is exemplified by derogatory statements about the relationship between the two. These negative reactions (including subtle gestures and disparaging looks) also come from some colleagues or people close to you, which makes these comments seem even more hurtful. But the most serious experience is at Adonis: the cis-gay visitors as well as the owner, who is already quite aggressive, are anything but happy with William's visit.
A trans man in a gay sauna who is also with Johan, the sauna employee who is so valued by many guests? For many gays, this seems incompatible with their own ideas of “real” homosexuality, masculinity and gender. The discrimination that the couple feels reaches its sad climax in this scene. Consequently, the real problem for Johan and William is the environment – and not the heterosexual one, but in this case the queer one.
Conclusion: The explicit, courageous romantic drama “Sauna” follows a young gay man through his lonely life, which is characterized by superficial sex dates and lavish parties. When he unexpectedly falls in love with a trans man of the same age, his life is thrown into disarray. With tender benevolence and great sensuality, the film tells an unusual queer love story and asks questions about self-discovery and identity. It's about the search for happiness, true cohesion and intimate human connections – despite some external resistance.