By Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine Staff / Photography courtesy of Project Publicity

When Sauna releases worldwide on November 18, audiences will be witnessing a piece of Danish film history. The debut feature from director Mathias Broe is the first film in Denmark to cast a transgender actor in a leading trans role. But beyond that milestone lies something even more profound, a raw and tender reimagining of love, belonging, and identity that dares to show queer intimacy in its most unguarded form.

Based on the acclaimed book by writer and activist Mads Ananda Lodahl, Sauna follows Johan, a gay man yearning for connection, and William, a trans man navigating the early stages of his transition.

Sauna cast members Nina Rask as William and Magnus Juhl Andersen as Johan

Their relationship, born from a casual Grindr hookup, blossoms into a love that is both transformative and turbulent. Set against the steamy, charged backdrop of Copenhagen’s only gay sauna, the story unfolds as an exploration of what it means to find, and risk, intimacy in a world still governed by prejudice and fear.

“It’s something that I’m very proud of,” Broe says about the film’s groundbreaking casting. “It was never a direct goal to achieve this milestone, but when we realized that we made film history with Sauna, it felt truly special. But at the same time, it was also sad to know that it hadn’t happened before in Danish cinema. So a double-edged sword.”

A Reimagined Love Story

Broe calls Sauna an “intimate reimagining” of Romeo and Juliet, though with a distinctly queer twist. “I’m a big fan of the iconic story,” he says. “I’ve visited Verona, and I even have a tattoo on my ribs quoting the star-crossed lovers. But in Sauna, the message is reversed; our focus is on the collective rather than the romantic monogamous relationship. As queer people, we need our community. It can be your healthy life partner.”

That emphasis on community and connection weaves throughout the film. For Johan, the sauna is a haven: his workplace, his refuge, and a place where he seeks love through fleeting encounters. For William, it is both a site of discovery and a place of vulnerability, a physical representation of how queer spaces can offer belonging and rejection in equal measure.

“The sauna felt like a character in itself,” Broe explains. “It’s a separatist space that’s hard to enter. For Johan, it’s a home; for William, it’s a risk. It becomes the catalyst for understanding the core of the film.”

Art Imitating Life

The personal connection between Broe’s art and his own life runs deep. As the film took shape over three and a half years, his partner began her gender transition. “I’ve always worked with personal storytelling,” he shares. “It felt natural to draw on my own experiences. I’m grateful that I could use the film as a kind of sparring partner. It really made the story come alive; a life imitates art situation.”

That authenticity extends to the casting of Nina Rask as William and Magnus Juhl Andersen as Johan. “William is very protective of himself, which makes sense when you’re going through a transition,” says Broe. “Nina, who’s also a famous comedian in Denmark, brought this warmth and curiosity that balanced William’s guardedness. Magnus, whom I’d worked with before, had this vulnerable yet sensual chemistry with Nina. When they came together, their body language changed, it was electric.”

Shot over six weeks with a small crew of just fifteen people, Sauna was made in the spirit of grassroots filmmaking. “It was always meant to be intimate,” Broe says. “Most of the crew were young and part of the Copenhagen queer scene. That closeness gave us authenticity, but it also meant we had to be intentional about trust and sensitivity, especially when working within activist and queer spaces.”

The film’s emotional resonance is amplified by its soundtrack, featuring queer and underground Danish musicians like Anton Falck of First Hate, Debbie Sings, Mini Esco, and Raymonde Gaunoux. “The underground music scene in Denmark is amazing,” Broe says. “I wanted to capture how Copenhagen sounds to me; how it feels in small, intimate venues filled with queer energy.”

For one early viewer, the experience of watching Sauna was nothing short of transformative. “The film stirred a powerful mix of emotions,” they shared. “It left me reflecting on the reality that so many people are still denied the freedom to fully be themselves, and experience exclusion even from within our own queer communities. I carried a sadness for those forced to suppress their truth, but also a renewed hope that our world can grow into a place of acceptance.”

They described Johan and William’s connection as “electric yet fragile,” adding that their differences created “a fascinating and emotional dynamic—a push and pull between longing and self-preservation.” The film’s central setting also left a lasting impression: “The sauna was both a sanctuary and a battleground. It gave Johan a sense of belonging, yet left him feeling alone. For William, it reflected the tension between hope for acceptance and fear of exclusion.”

The viewer called the film “an intimate, and beautifully tragic window into the queer experience,” praising its ability to blend universal themes of love and heartbreak with the specificity of queer identity. “It challenges, moves, and ultimately invites viewers to see love and identity through a more compassionate and honest lens.”

Broe hopes Sauna sparks important conversations, both within the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. “I hope the film contributes to a conversation around the stigmatization and exclusion happening inside our own community,” he says. “We would be so much stronger if we didn’t label each other so heavily. The fights we fight are similar in spirit, even when they differ in detail. If we don’t support one another’s processes and rights, we’re just being straight-up dicks, and that’s not very queer.”

In the end, Broe’s ambitions are larger than any single love story. “I hope Sauna opens a space for curiosity and empathy, not only within queer circles but for broader audiences too. Simply by seeing bodies we don’t normally see on screen, being intimate, being human, relating to one another, we can begin to break down the boxes we’ve built around ourselves.”

Sauna (unrated in the USA) will be available to rent or own on all major digital platforms beginning November 18.

This article was originally published in the 2025 Holiday Issue of Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine, and can be read in its original format here.