SAWIYANO TA

In a society where he has never truly felt at home, Mike Årsjö — son of Swedish missionaries and adopted from Chile — lives a life shaped by rootlessness and a deep longing for identity and belonging. His skin is white, but his soul bears the deep imprint of a childhood spent among the Sawiyano people in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. There, he didn’t just learn how to survive in nature — he learned how to be present, to feel, to belong.

  • Since Mike speaks their language, the door to the world of the Sawiyano opens and it becomes possible for me to follow the life there and their relationships.

    The film is shoot on location in Sweden and Papua New Guinea.

  • Original Title: SAGOTRÄDET
    Language: English, Swedish, Sawiyano
    Duration: 90 mins feature length version / 58 mins version
    Production Company: Felix Film AB, Sweden/ Co-producer SVT Sweden
    Director: Titti Johnson, Helgi Felixson
    Screenplay: Titti Johnson, Helgi Felixson

    Sound: Jacob Felixson

    Producer: Helgi Felixson

    Release: 2026

Driven by the need to reconnect with his roots, Mike returns to the rainforest where he grew up. The reunion with the Sawiyano stirs deep emotions — grief for his brother Okope’s lost daughter, the bittersweet sense of being both welcomed and a stranger, and a spiritual closeness to the land, the people, and what he once had.

Duration: 58/70 min

CAN YOU SEE ME

Driven by an insatiable thirst for answers and the unraveling of secrets long buried, Isac embarks on a journey alongside his father, Helgi, the filmmaker. What begins as a search for truth transforms into an odyssey of the soul, where each step forward is a step inward, delving into the depths of their shared and separate histories. The tale unfolds through two lenses—Isac’s eyes, hungry for understanding, and Helgi’s, weathered by time and memory. Their bond, both fragile and unbreakable, becomes a central thread in this tapestry of discovery.

Directors note:

“Adopting a child reshaped the contours of my life, filling it with joys and challenges that I had never imagined. Through this film, I sought to capture the essence of that journey, to reflect the emotions, the struggles, and the profound transformations that adoption brings. It is a story of love, loss, and the search for belonging—told not just in words, but in the silent spaces between them.” – Helgi Felixson

Filmed on location in Sweden and Sri Lanka