Premiering at the 2026 River Valley Film Festival, Saari uses fragmented memories, Finnish landscapes and restrained performances to explore betrayal, identity and reconciliation.
By Valerie Milano
Palm Springs, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/14/26 – In the visually striking short film Saari—Finnish for “island”, a peaceful family retreat becomes the setting for the slow collapse of a relationship.
Co-written by Justin Seegmueller, Corey L’Esperance and Suvi Härkönen, the film follows Daniel, played by Seegmueller, as he reflects on the choices that damaged his relationship with Liina, portrayed by Ilona Karppanen. Told through fragments of the past, present and future, Saari gradually reveals how secrecy and betrayal can transform a place of safety into one of emotional confinement.
The nonlinear structure was not simply a stylistic choice. The project was developed and filmed over more than a decade, with footage captured in Finland, Boston and the desert. L’Esperance explained that the filmmakers divided the story into “past, present and future,” allowing audiences to experience the relationship from both characters’ perspectives.
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He described Daniel and Liina as two people who are “stuck in these moments in time,” making the fragmented narrative especially appropriate.
Seegmueller said Daniel’s internal struggle is rooted in the questions, “Am I that person? Am I still that person?” His restrained performance captures a man attempting to reconcile his current identity with the damage caused by earlier decisions.
For Seegmueller, the film is fundamentally about choice.
“It’s all about decision-making,” he said. “Are you an accumulation of all your decisions?”
Finland’s lush island scenery contrasts sharply with Daniel’s later isolation in the barren desert. Seegmueller described the progression as “lush and then dead,” a simple but effective visual representation of a relationship moving from intimacy and possibility to emotional aftermath.
For Liina, the island represents family history, comfort and security. By inviting Daniel there, she welcomes him into her sanctuary. His secrets, however, begin to contaminate that protected space.
“You let me into your life,” Seegmueller explained, “and now I’m here almost ruining your sense of security.”
Because the couple reaches the island by rowboat, the setting also creates a sense of entrapment as suspicion and resentment begin to surface. L’Esperance noted that once they are there, “there’s not really anywhere you can go.”
The film’s cross-cultural perspective was strengthened by the collaboration between American co-director L’Esperance and Finnish co-director Härkönen. Their responsibilities shifted according to which character dominated a scene. L’Esperance generally led sequences centered on Daniel, while Härkönen took a stronger role when Liina’s experience was at the emotional forefront.
That approach helps prevent Liina from existing only as a reaction to Daniel’s behavior. Her journey eventually becomes more compelling than his guilt.
Karppanen traveled to the United States for the first time to film the Boston scenes, which were completed approximately three years after the original Finland footage. Seegmueller said the friendship they developed during production can be seen in the warmth between their characters during the relationship’s happier moments.
The filmmakers deliberately avoid explaining every detail of Daniel’s betrayal. Earlier edits revealed even less, but test audiences needed additional narrative guidance.
“We do need to have some breadcrumbs,” L’Esperance said, explaining that without them, the story became “a little too lost on the audience.”
The challenge was to provide enough information while maintaining the film’s quiet, interpretive tone. L’Esperance said they wanted to leave room for viewers to “fill in some of the blanks.”
The lengthy production process also changed how the filmmakers viewed Daniel. L’Esperance acknowledged that they initially saw him as “this hero,” but over time recognized that “he is kind of a bad guy in some of these aspects.”
That evolving perspective gives the film greater moral complexity. Daniel is not granted an easy redemption, and his introspection does not erase the harm he caused.
Karppanen brings strength and emotional restraint to Liina, who emerges from the experience as what L’Esperance called “a completely different person.” A final city scene suggests that she is beginning to reclaim her identity and imagine a future beyond Daniel and the relationship that betrayed her.
Subtle, atmospheric and open to interpretation, Saari asks whether people are defined by their worst decisions, and what reconciliation means when the damage cannot simply be undone.
After more than 10 years of work, the film’s world premiere at the River Valley Film Festival is especially meaningful. Both L’Esperance and Seegmueller attended film school in Philadelphia, making the Pennsylvania premiere a return to the state where their filmmaking journeys began.
Seegmueller hopes the film encourages audiences to examine their own choices and personal histories.
“What does that say about you?” he asked. “What does that say about your story and your own narrative?”
Saari will have its world premiere at the 2026 River Valley Film Festival. Seegmueller will attend the premiere in person, while members of L’Esperance’s family are expected to represent him at the festival.
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