Believe it or not, the following events left their wives truly puzzled. While sipping coffee and nibbling on a sandwich, a chimney sweep confesses to his boss that he not only has slept with a man but enjoyed it and told his wife straight away. He fails to see his actions as infidelity or anything particularly wrong. Surprised, the boss then shares something of his own: he had a dream where he saw himself as a woman, identified as one. What follows in the marriage of these two men is not only an examination of trust and partnership but also a philosophical conversation about gender roles and identity. We often go to great lengths to protect that contract – even to the point of violating it.

Haugerud, well-versed in hashtags like “sex talk” and “fifty shades”, uncovers a fresh perspective on discomfort and truth while reflecting on contemporary Norwegian society. This film is the first part of his upcoming trilogy on sexuality, titled Sex, Love, Dreams. It begins as an absurd drama for those weary of social constructs. The dialogues crackle with wit, and the musical interludes thunderously underline the subtle humour in the drama. The static mise-en-scenes offer quiet humour, with the finale – a Scandinavian take on Jesus Christ Superstar – being the crème de la crème. This convincing dissection of heterosexuality, its virtues, and its normativity, has been dubbed the “silent blockbuster” of the Berlinale, where it received the Ecumenical Jury and other awards. The film recalls the early works of Östlund and the more perceptive films of French moralist Rohmer.