Love Untamed

A teenage circus worker’s life is torn apart when his forbidden relationship with his dog is exposed in a challenging debut about boundaries, shame, and consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Bjørn lives and works with a circus and shares an all-too-close bond with his dog, Freja. When the relationship is discovered, his parents intervene immediately and separate them, leaving Bjørn alone with his shame and confusion. He tries to adapt to the expectations of those around him, but is instead forced to confront his outsider status and the condemnation of others on his own. Love Untamed, by Malthe Wermuth Saxer, is an uncompromising and unsettling drama that raises questions about moral boundaries and the human–animal relationship.

• Josef Kullengård