For the first time ever, a Danish film about love and longing features a trans actor in a leading trans role. Sauna premieres in Denmark on the 18th of November and stars actor Nina Rask who plays William, a trans man discovering love with Johan, a gay man.
We sat with Nina Rask and director Mathias Broe to talk about what inspires them and how they built this cinematic masterpiece.
On Becoming William
For Rask, the chance to play William was like fate. “I’ve been a huge fan of Mads Ananda Lodahl’s work for many years,” he says. “Playing William was something I’d dreamed about.”
What fascinated her most was William’s quiet power. “He has this ability to hold back and sometimes to protect himself, sometimes out of control,” Rask explains. “Balancing that power and fragility was a challenge. Personally, I’m not great at holding back, so playing him helped me explore that side of myself.”
Taking on the role wasn’t something Rask took lightly. “It means a lot to me,” he says.
“I understand its importance in my head, but emotionally it’s hard to grasp. When I think about how other queer films have shaped culture, I realize Sauna might do that too. I’m just incredibly proud.”
We asked Rask’s connected with co-star Magnus Juhl Andersen and he described it as something that came naturally but not by accident.
“We’d already worked together on Carmen Curlers, a Danish TV series,” he says. “We hadn’t played romantic scenes before, but we knew each other professionally. The casting process tested our romantic chemistry, and it turned out to be surprisingly easy.”
What Hit Close to Home?
Rask describes how Sauna mirror’s his own experiences.
“I relate to William’s world and his language, his network, his sense of belonging,” he says.
“Growing up queer in Copenhagen gave me access to a progressive community early on, but it also took time to learn how to move within it. I understand what Johan feels when he meets William’s friends and that tension between wanting to belong and not knowing how to fit in.”
Rask hopes that playing William will expand on how queer people are seen on screen.
“For so long, we’ve been portrayed as jokes, victims, or flawless heroes. But real people are messy. Queer characters deserve to be just as layered — selfish, loving, flawed, and human. I’m proud that Sauna shows that,” Rask says.
Director Mathias Broe on Telling His Own Story
Director Mathias Broe describes Sauna as never an adaptation but rather a reflection.
“It took three and a half years to make the film,” he says. “As we worked, it transformed from a book into something deeply personal. In the film, Johan isn’t just an idealist like in the book — he’s a romantic, searching for love and belonging. That’s what I connected to.”
While working on the film, his partner had begun her transition journey. “When my partner started her transition, it brought me closer to the story,” Broe says.
“As a partner, you transition too. It’s not always easy, but Sauna gave me space to explore both the joy and difficulty of change.”
Broe hopes Sauna will help expand what’s possible in Danish filmmaking.
“I hope Sauna encourages more stories that are diverse, daring, and unafraid to break norms. Queer and trans stories are still growing here, and the more we tell them, the more space we create.”
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