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Se Gennem Aske (Danish) [In Ashes]

By Golu
Spanning the five-year period after an intense teenage break-up, this Danish film is an unconventional coming-of-age tale, where the film focuses on the lead protagonist's inability to get over his first heartbreak. The past lovers details are slowly revealed, but also never fully explained on why the breakup happened, but in the process we are shown a fraught modern gay love.

We meet 20-something Christian, a university student, who spends his time between studying and clumsy casual sex using the app but he seems to find no real release in his trysts. He’s awkwardly torn between feeling bad when his hookups leave right away and freaking out when guys want to take it slow and get to know him. The entire film focuses on him meeting many new folks but hardly making connections, but he was not like this always. Through multiple flashbacks we are shown how he was extremely happy with his then boyfriend Aske. Form his first date with him to full of romantic ideas, he used to be a very positive man, but something somewhere went wrong. In present time Aske has completely ghosted him and is not responding to any of his messages. Christian is so heartbroken (although he never shows) he is now very dependent on cigarette, beer and sex and is getting further away from his very loving mother and sister. When one day he sees Aske again on the app, Christian’s pain and curiosity begin to transform into obsession. He makes a fake profile to stalk him and eventually shows up to a bar to meet him. Aske's cold response leave him extremely surprised but thankfully something in him awakens and he asks his mother for help. The film ends on a positive note a year later within having potentially found true love.

This is an interesting film to watch. As audience, one could interpret his cavalier sex life as just part of being a gay 20-something in the big city, or as a reaction to his breakup with Aske. Is he seeking external validation through sex? Is it a destructive cycle? We are never shown for real reason for breakup between them and why was Christian so obsessed with Aske. I did like the fact that Christian tries to make connections with his hookups, but as he says, there was no connection and it all just ends every time after sex. I forget the name of the film, but few months back I had seen another film that focuses on how hard it truly is to find love these days and just how difficult it is being young in a chaotic, lusty and hyper liberal environment. The film offers a fresh take on modern dating and digital hook-up culture in the gay community, exploring the tension between casual sex encounters and the longing for deeper emotional connection. The actor playing Christian does a great job. Even though action wise there may not be much happening on the screen but he does a good job of portraying how his mind is always at work looking for that connection and still wondering why Aske just left him. Guy playing Aske has very little screen time but he is a beautiful actor. I also liked how supportive Christian's family was throughout. I think a lot of people will be able to connect with the subject. The film is less than 90 minutes which makes it for an ideal runtime of a film of this genre. (6/10)
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