CENTER, N.D. – A new film streaming on major platforms tells the story of Hazel Miner, a 16-year-old North Dakota teenager who sacrificed her life to save her younger siblings during a brutal blizzard in March 1920. The movie, “Hazel’s Heart,” premiered Tuesday, Dec. 23, and is already sparking conversations about courage and selflessness.
A Heroic Act of Sacrifice
The film depicts the harrowing ordeal of the Miner family during a relentless North Dakota blizzard.
The Miner children – Hazel, 16, Emmet, 10, and Myrdith, 8 – were attempting to return home from a one-room schoolhouse when disaster struck. Their horse-drawn sled overturned, leaving the three siblings stranded in the blinding snow. “It became a whiteout situation and they could not see their hand in front of their face,” explained director Daniel Bielinski, who spent several years bringing the story to the screen. “She had to keep them alive in sub-zero temperatures.”
Hazel, demonstrating extraordinary bravery, shielded her siblings from the elements. Their father’s desperate rescue attempt ultimately led to their discovery, but Hazel succumbed to the cold.
A Family Legacy of Remembrance
The story of Hazel Miner has been passed down through generations. Emmet Miner, one of the children saved, was the grandfather of Bismarck resident Darrin Vogel. “He had a lot of survivor’s guilt with this,” Vogel shared. “A lot of times, in March, he was sad almost every year around that time.”
Bielinski utilized a local crew and actors for the film, shooting much of it in an abandoned retail space. “It was 100,000 square feet, and we used every inch of it,” he said. “We wouldn’t have been able to make the movie without that building.”
Vogel described his great-aunt’s actions as “truly incredible,” adding, “She put her younger siblings above her life.” Hazel Miner is still honored at the cemetery in Center, N.D., a testament to her enduring legacy.
“Hazel’s Heart,” distributed by Samuel Goldwyn, is now available for streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and other platforms. More information can be found at Hazelmovie.com.
