# Danish debut tackles forbidden desires

> Marlene Emilie Lyngstad's provocative first film explores sexual taboos through a man confronting his darkest impulses.
- Title: Danish debut tackles forbidden desires | Shortify
- Summary: Marlene Emilie Lyngstad's provocative first film explores sexual taboos through a man confronting his darkest impulses. Cute is a bold Danish drama that…
- Keywords: cute, marlene emilie lyngstad, danish cinema, san sebastian film festival, debut feature, sexual taboos, jan gunnar røise, emilie koefoed larse, drama, Danish, debut, tackles
- Source: The Hollywood Reporter — https://hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cute-danish-drama-film-san-sebastian-festival-lyngstad-1236703340
- Author: Lily Ford
- Published: 2026-09-16T14:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: cute, marlene emilie lyngstad, danish cinema, san sebastian film festival, debut feature, sexual taboos, jan gunnar røise, emilie koefoed larse, drama
## Danish debut arrives at San Sebastian
Marlene Emilie Lyngstad's first feature film Cute premieres this week at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
## A man's forbidden feelings
Richard, played by Jan Gunnar Røise, struggles with inappropriate attraction to his seven-year-old stepdaughter and decides to leave his girlfriend.
## Retreat and disruption
Richard retreats to his childhood home to renovate it before selling, but his isolation is interrupted by Stella, his mother's childlike caregiver.
## Confronting sexual taboos
The film boldly examines sexual taboos, fetishisation, and adult attraction to children through its narrative.
## Written by Lyngstad and Larse
The screenplay was written by director Marlene Emilie Lyngstad and co-writer Emilie Koefoed Larse.
## Key takeaway

Cute is a bold Danish drama that directly examines adult attraction to children and sexual taboos, premiering at San Sebastian.