Distinctly Montana Magazine

W N EIV A R S Major-league Hollywood producer and Bozeman na- tive, Per Saari, came to town in March for the Bozeman Film Festival’s screening of his Academy Award-nominat- ed film, Rabbit Hole. Per Saari is the 35- year-old son of Dr. George Saari, a beloved Boze- man doctor, and Anne Trygstad. His father died in a cross-coun- try skiing accident in Yellow- stone Park in 2007, preceded by Per’s brother Hans, a world-class, ski-moun- taineer and skilled writer, who died in a climb in 2001. Saari directed a documentary film, Why He Skied, which explores the P M a boy, he attended Bozeman Film Festival showings and that he was proud the BFF has persevered offering quality films, especially independents. His first glimpse of movie-mak- ing was watch- ing scenes from Amazing Grace and Chuck shot on Willson Street in 1985 at the age of 10. DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL Check out Per Saari’s next film Go to www.distinctlymontana.com/saari113 Per Saari with Academy Award-winning actor, Nicole Kidman. INTERVIEWED BY VALERIE HARMS, EDITOR life and death of his brother. The Hans Saari Memorial Fund in Bozeman (www.hansfund.org) was formed to pro- vide financial and educational aid to ski adventurers. In the Q & A after the film showing, Per said that as I am particularly inter- ested in your Montana connection. For instance, what years of your life did you live in Bozeman? I moved with my family from Seattle when I was nine. My mom and dad were drawn to the moun- tains, to Bozeman’s quality of life and to its being a univer- sity town with great cultural offerings. Bozeman even had a ballet in 1985, although I seem to recall the dancing was www.distinctlymontana.com 37 H E U R I O V TI RB D A Z E T E I N W - O A RE E R D C I B P O R M E

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