“The Chosen” star Stelio Savante, a veteran actor whose career has spanned more than four decades and continents, believes the true story behind his new film “Hazel’s Heart” is one everyone needs to know.
Based on the real-life account of Hazel Miner, a teenage girl who became a symbol of sacrifice and courage after a deadly 1920 blizzard in North Dakota, “Hazel’s Heart” tells a story long preserved in local history books but rarely given a national stage.
“This is one of those stories that should be known far beyond where it happened,” Savante, who both executive-produced the film and stars as Hazel’s father, William Miner, said. “Hazel Miner is a young American heroine whose voice deserves to be heard. This is a true-life survival thriller.”
From Samuel Goldwyn Films and directed by Daniel Bielinski, “Hazel’s Heart” unfolds during a brutal March snowstorm that leaves three siblings lost in whiteout conditions for more than 25 hours. As the children fight to survive the cold, their father and neighbors launch a frantic search across frozen fields in a race against time in an era without modern emergency systems or communication.
Savante, a father of four, said the script immediately struck him. “I am a father. I’m also a person of faith,” he said. “And what I appreciated about this script was that the faith element was subtle. It wasn’t melodramatic. It wasn’t beaten over the head.”
He signed on as an actor first, later joining the project as an executive producer once the film entered post-production. By then, Savante had built a parallel career shepherding independent films through distribution, an experience he said proved pivotal as “Hazel’s Heart” attracted industry interest.
“We had a lot of interest in the film,” he said. “It became a very successful bidding situation, and we felt confident we made the right decision for the story.”
Savante’s character, William Miner, is a father caught between hope and the terror every parent dreads. Savante, who took on the role when his own daughter was 17, described the role as one shaped as much by guilt as by determination.
“There are decisions William makes early on that maybe weren’t the right ones,” he said. “Once the storm hits, it’s not about redeeming himself. It’s about finding his children. Protecting them. Saving them.”
“There’s that instinct to make sure you’ve done everything possible for your children,” he said. “And when the stakes are that high, you don’t get the luxury of hesitation.”
Set in 1920, “Hazel’s Heart” depicts a world without helicopters or cell phones, where survival depended on community, endurance and faith. Savante, who immigrated to the United States from South Africa and later became a citizen, said period pieces often sharpen his appreciation for the country’s foundations.
“They didn’t have quick solutions,” he said. “When disasters happened, there was nothing but people, prayer and perseverance. Behind every school, there was a church. Faith was the bedrock of this country, and it was the bedrock of this family.”
Hazel Miner, he added, is remembered not for exceptional talent or physical strength but for the purity of her love and the faith that sustained her.
“She leaned on her faith,” he said. “That was the beacon that drove the story forward.”
In North Dakota, Hazel Miner’s story remains well known; she is taught in schools, commemorated by a statue, and remembered through landmarks bearing her name. Savante said his goal is for the world to know her story of faith and resilience.
“Why shouldn’t the rest of the country hear about it?” he said.
Though rife with faith themes, Savante stressed that the film is accessible to a wide audience. Parents will identify with William’s desperation, while teenagers will see themselves in Hazel’s courage. Viewers without a religious background, he said, might recognize the moment when life demands more than one thinks they have to give.
“I think we all have a David-versus-Goliath moment,” Savante said. “And when that moment comes, you’re going to need something to lean on.”
The film arrives amid renewed interest in family-centered storytelling, though Savante said he’s eager to see the “faith-based” label disappear. It has, he explained, often been used in ways that limit both audience and ambition.
“As a believer, I want stories that help advance hope and truth,” he said. “But as a professional, I think that label has done real damage.”
Too often, he said, earlier faith-driven films prioritized message over craftsmanship, while secular films excelled artistically but lacked moral depth. Projects like “Hazel’s Heart,” he emphasized, bridge that divide.
“These films sit at the intersection,” he said. “They don’t preach. They tell the truth well.”
Savante credits recent successes, including “The Chosen,” in which he portrays Moses, with proving that excellence and conviction can coexist.
“What the industry ultimately responds to is quality,” he said. “When films hold up artistically, the rest follows.”
Looking ahead, Savante hopes the growth of spiritually serious storytelling, especially as projects become larger and have more crossover appeal, does not come at the expense of integrity. “Hazel’s Heart,” he said, already fulfills that mission.
“We’re responsible,” he said. “We have to be better. We serve the greatest artist there’s ever been. If no two sunsets are the same, then our work should reflect that same care.”
“Hazel’s Heart” is now streaming on Angel.
