Frozen River Blowing Up

Director Courtney Hunt’s new film about smuggling people across the frozen St. Lawrence River in Akwesasne is winning big awards – the Sundance Grand Jury prize, and most recently, a Gotham Independent Film award last night (thanks, Brian Mann).

The film was actually shot along the border north of Plattsburgh. But I covered Courtney Hunt when she filmed a short version of Frozen River on the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation several years ago. You can also listen to an interview with her after the full-length came out. And check out the trailer below.

Big congrats to Courtney on her success. But I can’t imagine folks in Akwesasne are too thrilled their reputation as a smuggling capital is on the silver screen.

— David