Something Must Break is youngster Saga Becker’s first appearance on film and it definitely won’t be the last. Becker plays Sebastian, a wayward youth going through a massive change in his life. Never identifying specifically as man or woman, Sebastian sometimes calls himself Ellie and runs around the desolate Scandinavian landscape wearing stolen dresses, drinking too much booze and experimenting sexually.
It is on one of these character-building binges that Ellie meets Andreas (Iggy Malmborg). Andreas has all the makeup of everyone’s perfect rebellious heartthrob (gay, straight and everything in between). His collection of leather jackets would suggest they’re going out of fashion, when he’s not talking he’s pushing the angst levels through the roof and while maintaining that level of silence it appears he couldn’t give two shits about what anyone thinks – perfection. After their initial meeting, which is awkward to say the least and actually involves a cheeky spew and public urination, the two form undeniable chemistry.
The plot follows their relationship, which is incredibly turbulent at times and creates some fantastically intimate and confronting scenes. The sex scenes in particular are so brilliantly shot they simultaneously reveal so much detail and keep even more untold. Based on a book by Eli Leven titled “You Are The Roots That Sleep at my Feet and Hold the Earth in Place” this film seems more a coming of age documentary than a drama; A nod perhaps to director Ester Martin Bergsmark’s background as an all-rounder documentary cinematographer, writer and editor.
A lot of the scenes between the central protagonists were unscripted, a bold move for a director to make and even more so when one of the actors has never been in a film prior. There is no question transgender rights are a central discussion within this film. The T in the alphabet soup that is now LGBTIQPA is the latest letter to be tackled and rightly so. We have now seen Lavern Cox on the cover of TIME and in Orange is the New Black, Carmen Carrera compete in RuPauls Drag Race and Chaz Bono become a beacon for trans rights.
However, unlike most trans related conversations in modern media, Something Must Break pushes the boundaries into something more daring and startling. This film doesn’t gloss over the sometimes terrifying and disturbing aspects of transitioning and in fact never paints a positive picture on the topic. As frustrating and pessimistic as this outlook can be, Bergsmark has found two actors who effortlessly project this depressing mood while maintaining a sweet and intriguing disposition.
Something Must Break is currently playing at the 2014 Sydney Film Festival.
