Sundance Sensation ‘Sauna’ Secures Major International Deals!

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As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that the Danish queer sex drama “Sauna,” which made waves at the Sundance Festival, has sealed its first major international distribution deals. The North American rights have been acquired by Breaking Glass, while Germany will be handled by Salzgeber & Co Medien, and Spain by Filmin. This is a significant step forward for this groundbreaking film!

Nordisk Film Distribution will bow “Sauna” in Denmark on April 24. 

The sales reveal a trend in initial global business transactions in early 2025, primarily influenced by genres like animation, works by well-known and emerging filmmakers, who are capitalizing on their success at “A” film festivals. Given the speed at which these deals are being made, we can expect more similar transactions to follow.

Susan Wendt, Managing Director of TrustNordisk, expressed great pride in the global adventure ‘Sauna’ is embarking on. She finds it delightful to observe this daring, sincere, and deeply human tale striking a chord with viewers beyond Denmark. With significant deals sealed in North America, Germany, and Spain, ‘Sauna’ demonstrates that compelling and genuine voices from Danish cinema can travel great distances and move hearts across international boundaries.

The sales agreements likewise show Trust Nordisk capitalizing on the optimistic critical acclaim of “Sauna”, which premiered at Sundance and competed in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition there.

In the film “Sauna,” directed by Matthias Broe (whose nonfiction work “Amfi” was nominated for a best short documentary Danish Academy Award in 2020), we follow Johan, a young man from rural areas seeking a more meaningful relationship than his casual encounters at Adonis, Copenhagen’s only gay sauna, where he works. He finds this connection with William, a transgender individual studying in the middle class, portrayed by trans-masc comedian and actor Nina Rask. However, as the initial thrill of their relationship subsides, Johan, a traditional cisgender gay man, fails to understand William’s needs. As Guy Lodge points out in his review for EbMaster, William is still navigating his identity in a masculine environment that isn’t always welcoming to his body or desires. A rift develops between Johan and William as they struggle to bridge their differences.

In the Danish drama “Sauna,” a gay man perceives queer existence from a unique perspective, as Lodge observed delicately.

Subtle details, such as scenes depicting Johan washing himself in the bathroom or casually cleaning up semen in the sauna, significantly contribute to the movie’s authentic and uniquely queer feel, a nuance that might elude a heterosexual director,” Indie Wire pointed out.

The film “Sauna,” originally written by William Lipperts in conjunction with Broe, is a screen adaptation of Mads Ananda Lodahl’s novel. Mads-August Hertz serves as the producer for Nordisk Film Production. This production has been backed by New Danish Screen at the Danish Film Institute, public broadcaster DR, and Nordisk Film Distribution.

For the first time, a transgender individual is playing a prominent role in a Danish feature film – a factor that inspired the creation of this movie, as Broe shared with EbMaster.

He mentioned that I’m part of the LGBTQ+ community, and during our movie production, my partner began transitioning. In the past, I identified as a traditional heterosexual man, but my identity has grown and evolved along with ours. When we consider the LGBTQ+ community, people often assume everyone faces the same challenges, but the reality is that each person fights their own battles.

Initiated by Richard Wolff back in 2009, Breaking Glass serves as a platform for distributing theatrical and TVOD, SVOD, AVOD content across North America. The company is particularly well-known for its extensive library of LGBTQ+ films.

In Germany and regions where German is spoken, Salzgeber & Co Medien, based in Berlin, manages distribution for theater, television, and video on demand (VOD) productions. They have a longstanding emphasis on films that revolve around the LGBTQ+ community and documentaries.

Established in Barcelona back in 2007, Filmin functions as a premium streaming service specializing in independent movies and series, primarily from Europe. Additionally, it serves as both a distributor and creator of films.

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2025-04-09 10:49