Interview: Sebastian Director Mikko Mäkelä On Depicting Sex Work And Double Lives

The pressures and complications of living a double life are on full display in Sebastian. The atmospheric queer drama is directed by Mikko Mäkelä and showcases an outstanding central performance from rising star Ruaridh Mollica.

The actor plays Max, a freelance writer whose debut novel aims to be an accurate exposé of sex work. Going under the pseudonym ‘Sebastian’, Max establishes himself as a sex worker for real, experiencing physical intimacy with his clients. However, is it purely transactional, or is it instead a subconscious call for intimacy that drives Max forward?

READ OUR REVIEW OF “SEBASTIAN” HERE

We sat down with Mäkelä to discuss the making of his forthright and honest film. The director discusses his stylistic influences, the importance of an intimacy co-ordinator, and the current status of LGBTQ+ cinema.

Max, a 25-year-old aspiring writer living in London, works at a literary magazine and is on the verge of finding success in the local literary scene. By night, however, he moonlights as a sex worker to research his debut novel. What begins as a series of furtive meetings soon evolves into a secret nocturnal life as his alter ego, “Sebastian.” In a fearless lead performance from newcomer Ruraridh Mollica, Max’s emotions shift from ecstasy to shame and exhilarating liberation. Far from merely informing his autobiographical fiction, Max’s experiences as Sebastian awaken a deeper sense of self—unshackled from societal expectations—all while threatening his carefully-earned status in the literary community. SEBASTIAN explores the transgressive power of queer sexuality and the transformative impact of embracing a new identity.

You can watch our full interview with Mikko below:

Sebastian opens in UK cinemas on 4th April