A Story close to home: North Dakota’s epic blizzard film, Hazel, to debut in theaters
M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer
The cinematic tale of a North Dakota blizzard is about to hit the big screen. Hazel, the new film from Bismarck-based Canticle Productions, is set to premiere in a series of screenings across the state, bringing a powerful, local story of sacrifice and heroism to audiences.
Directed by North Dakota resident Daniel Bielinski, Hazel tells the true story of Hazel Miner, a young farm girl who saved her siblings during a furious blizzard in 1920. “Stories like Hazel’s areimportant,” Bielinski said. “The world is full of ugliness, and it seems that movies and television relish almost exclusively in exploring the many facets of that ugliness. I think that it is equally important to celebrate the beauties and the triumphs, as well.”
The making of the film was a massive undertaking, requiring a unique solution to capture the storm’s intensity. Instead of filming in an actual blizzard, the crew took over an abandoned Kmart building in Bismarck and transformed it into a movie studio.
“The biggest challenge for making the movie is, you know, this is a blizzard movie,” Bielinski said. “It quickly became obvious that there’s no way we could shoot outside. Probably 70 percent of the movie takes place during a blinding blizzard.”
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