A Copenhagen Love Story: An Un-Pretty Take On Women’s Bodies & Self-Identity

Don’t be fooled by the title. A Copenhagen Love Story is anything but your usual corny rom-com. I clicked on this Danish film on Netflix’s ‘Recently Added’ section, unassuming how unapologetically raw and intimate this Danish film was going to be. Starring Rosalind Mynster and Joachim Fjelstrup, this film boldly explores how women’s relationship with their bodies and self-image is beyond just a personal battle. Of course, there is a love story in this film; however, it is a narrative of complex, mature relationships minus the fluff. 

What Is The Film About?

This article might contain spoilers.

The film follows Mia, an author who finds love in Emil, a single dad of two. As the couple navigates fertility struggles, their relationship is tested in ways they never anticipated. What follows is a harrowing, deeply personal exploration of how reproductive struggles reshape a woman’s identity and, ultimately, her relationship with the world.

In the beginning, the film gives us a brief introduction to Mia's life. She is an author who writes fiction novels about women who aren't exactly fictitious. Rebecca, the protagonist of her latest book, "Tour De Force", is a reflection of herself–a 30-something woman struggling with commitment and falling for the "wrong guys". That is, until Mia meets Emil.

Mia, who is loving her new life as a 'bonus mom' (a euphemism of sorts for stepmother) to Emil's son and daughter, wants biological children of her own. For months, the couple tries everything yet cannot conceive. They turn to IVF, which becomes a turning point in their lives. Mia starts questioning her body and self, beginning a vicious spiral of self-doubt. 

Once known for her vivacious personality, eccentric style, and free-spirited writing, audiences can observe Mia's character changing during the film. She slowly grows dull and self-conscious, turns to simpler fashion, and writes a bitter and cynical book about her challenges. She exhibits her confusing emotions with violent outbursts, which then turn into crippling guilt.

The Silence Around Women’s Health

One of the best parts about the film is the subtle foreshadowing that displays a huge disparity in the healthcare system. During each appointment with the fertility specialist, Mia is alone in the procedure room while Emil is forced to search for a chair from another room. By the time he finally finds one and gets back to Mia, her procedure is already complete.

This happens numerous times until Mia finally speaks up. “You’re only addressing me. Emil is here for this too. You never address the two of us,” she tells the male doctor. “ Gender equality is a duty that starts here, right now… You only talk to me, all while Emil follows from behind with his sperm in a tiny cup… Give him an assignment, give him a voice, give him a f***ing chair to sit! How hard is that?”

Rosalind Mynster’s powerful monologue is an unsettling reminder of how the system forces women to single-handedly carry the burden of reproduction, fertility, and their health. Later in the film, doctors suggest inducing menopause so Mia can conceive. This, too, is prescribed in a very clinical tone with no consideration of her physical and mental well-being.

How Her Self-Image Impacts Her Relationships

We all know the cliché, “If you don’t love yourself, how are you gonna love someone else?” This is accurately demonstrated in A Copenhagen Love Story, as Mia’s rocky relationship with her self-image turns her relationship with Emil sour. Her increasing frustration and guilt, coupled with the side effects of menopause, begin to push Emil away.

While Mia feels unheard and unwanted in her journey, the film also deftly explores the complexities of other kinds of relationships and parenthood. Her homosexual brother and his life partner have been waiting for years to adopt a child; her best friend is feeling forced into accepting motherhood, even having to go through a painful abortion at one point.

In the scene when Mia’s friend, Gro, has an abortion, she does not shy away from standing by her in support. However, internally, she feels a gut-twisting sorrow and envy. “I felt like shoving the expelled foetus inside me to see if it can live in there,” she tells herself.

Rebuilding From The Ashes

Mia is forced to confront her intimate struggles in a public setting–during an interview when she sheepishly opens up about her fertility and bodily autonomy. She is surprised to find out how many women in the audience related to her. While she had been assuming her challenges were too private or embarrassing, this revelation came as a catharsis.

This becomes a pivotal moment in Mia’s journey to self-acceptance. She begins to see that her worth is not solely defined by her ability to conceive. She slowly starts reclaiming her sense of self beyond motherhood. Things are not instantly repaired; The strain of her struggles lingers, but as she begins to embrace herself, she finds room to heal.

Throughout A Copenhagen Love Story, many elements stand out as a contemporary reflection of women’s relationships with their bodies. Right from the evocative scenes and dialogues about self-worth to little details like Mynster’s portrayal of body hair on screen, the film is a depiction of the often unspoken realities of womanhood with striking honesty.

Views expressed by the author are their own