Director : MATHIAS BROE
Cast : MAGNUS JUHL ANDERSEN, NINA TERESE RASK
Denmark | 2025 | 104 mins
In Danish, Swedish, English with English subtitles
Gay, Transgender, Romance
# Post-screening sharing
* Director in Attendance
* World Cinema Dramatic Competition, Sundance Film Festival
* Nordic Competition, Göteborg International Film Festival
* Hong Kong Premiere
Schedules
14/9/2025 (Sun) 7:30pm – Broadway CINEMATHEQUE#
25/9/2025 (Thu) 7:30pm – PREMIERE ELEMENTS
Synopsis
Johan, a drifting receptionist at Copenhagen’s only gay sauna, lives for parties and fleeting hookups until he’s jolted awake by a feverish, complicated romance with William, a transman. With their connection evolving, Johan finds himself stepping into the empathetic, activist-driven community he has been seeking all his life. As desire transforms into obsession, Johan’s world shifts, compelling him to confront the complex facets of love, identity, and longing. With Sauna, debut writer-director Mathias Broe breaks ground with the first Danish film to centre a transgender lead, challenging our rigid ideas about gender, love, and identity in a haze of sweat, steam, and raw emotion.
Post Screening Q&A Sharing
14/9/2025 (Sun) 7:30pm – Broadway CINEMATHEQUE
Moderator : Daniel Woo
Featured Guest : Director, Mathias Broe
After the screening, join Mathias Broe, director of the groundbreaking Danish drama Sauna, as he comes centre-stage at HKLGFF to discuss the creation of his film and how he uses queer cinema to create space to challenge societal norms.
Mathias Broe earned a BA in Film Studies from the University of Copenhagen and graduated from the Danish film school Super16 in 2018. At just 16, he was recognized as one of Denmark’s top film talents. His graduation film, Amphi, won a Danish Academy Award for Best Short Documentary in 2020. Sauna is his feature debut, reflecting his commitment to amplifying queer narratives and challenging societal norms through cinema.
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