It’s all about the journey in Dag Johan Haugerud’s Love (Kjærlighet). A physical ferry crossing between Oslo and the nearby Nesodden peninsula – but also the distance between what we have and what we desire and bridging the gap between what we think we know and what others can teach us.
The winner of the FIPRESCI prize at Tromsø Film Festival – among a strong and eclectic line-up – it is the third part of Haugerud’s loosely connected trilogy on modern life and love that began with Sex and includes Dreams, although Dreams will be the last to have its premiere internationally when it screens in competition at the 2025 Berlinale. The films are linked not by an ongoing plot but by their shared meditation on what relationships mean in the modern world.
Marianne (Andrea Bræin Hovig) is single and successful, working as a hospital urologist, she spends her days discussing prostate mechanics with her patients. In her off hours, it’s the emotional side of sex she is focused on as she contemplates the possibility of casual relationships rather than commitment, even though her friend Heidi (Marte Engebrigtsen) is trying to set her up with divorced geologist Ole Harald (Thomas Gullestad).
Working alongside her is the younger nurse Tor (Tayo Cittadella Jacobsen), who assists her as she chats to patients. Gay and at ease with this life and sexuality, Tor uses his commute on the ferry to Nesodden to engage in Grindr hook-ups, which lead as often to a shared moment of conversation as they do to anything more sexual. It’s on the ferry that he also bumps into Marianne on her way back from a visit to Ole. The pair discuss the possibilities of casual relationships, opening a world of possibilities for Marianne.
Haugerud has a feel for the ebb and flow of relationships, letting the broader picture of Oslo take shape as his characters go about their business. One of Tor’s late-night conversations with the older Björn (Lars Jacob Holm) will morph into something more complex when he has a second chance encounter with him later. Heidi, meanwhile, may seem at home talking about sexuality when it comes to the architecture of the city for a cultural celebration she is planning, but reveals herself to be much more conservative in her private life as Marianne tells her about her exploits.
If Sex felt rather static, Love is much more fluid. Haugerud uses the journeys across the water to punctuate the film and add a contemplative element that gives us a break from the dialogue. His skill is in incorporating larger themes into small talk situations without making the script feel clunky. When Björn, for example, discusses the impact that fear of AIDS had on his sex life it feels poignant not preachy. The medical setting also allows for the director to include some details about gay sex that prove eye-opening for Marianne and are also likely to be educative for many who watch the film. Even the smaller characters count for Haugerud and communication is king. No matter what the desired romantic end point, he suggests empathy is a crucial companion for the journey.
©FIPRESCI 2025