Sex

Synopsis
Sex follows two men in heterosexual marriages whose perceptions of sexuality, gender and identity are challenged by unexpected experiences. One has a sexual encounter with another man without seeing it as a sign of homosexuality or infidelity. The other has dreams in which David Bowie sees him as a woman, stirring confusion and leading him to question how much our personalities are shaped by how others see us.

Jury motivation
With Sex, director and screenwriter Dag Johan Haugerud has created a sophisticated and entertaining film about masculinity and sexuality. Two colleagues share strange experiences with each other. Both are facing challenges about who they are as men and fathers. The filmmaker treats their attempts to figure it all out with empathy, original dramaturgical choices and a confident aesthetic that confirms Haugerud’s position as one of Norway’s most exciting filmmakers. His rich and funny dialogue is enhanced by a visual language that almost seems to comment on the plot. Haugerud is ably abetted by the co-leads, Thorbjørn Harr and Jan Gunnar Røise, who both deliver sterling performances. The same applies to photographer Cecilie Semec, who constantly finds exciting wide-screen compositions and new images of contemporary Oslo without distracting from Haugerud’s rich script. Along with editor Jens Christian Fodstad, they develop a cinematic, entertaining and interesting portrait of two believable Nordic men going through credible human trials and tribulations.