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Once Upon A River
Once Upon A River “Blamed unfairly for trying to seduce
  her uncle, a young part-American Indian
  teenager unwittingly causes her father's
  death and while grief-stricken and
  traumatised sets off down river to find
  her mother who abandoned them some
  years before, putting her in the paths
  of both friends and foe in the dramatic
  Once Upon A River...”

HAPPILY LIVING WITH HER AMERICAN INDIAN FATHER Bernard Crane (Tatanka Means: The Son) in Murrayville, a rural town on the Stark River in Michigan, USA, after her mother's desertion, teenaged Margo Crane (Kenadi DelaCerna) is a gifted shot with a rifle like her heroine, Annie Oakley.

It is 1977 and Bernard's half-brother Cal Murray (Coburn Goss: Widows) is noticing his niece not only for her shooting skills but also her sultry good looks. He pretty much runs Murrayville and is beyond reproach as far as the townspeople are concerned.

“As you would expect
from the capable hands
of Haroula Rose,
Once Upon A River
is given a movingly
sensitive and human
treatment as a young
woman of American
Indian heritage faces
trauma and tragedy
as she seeks to discover
herself and lay the past
to rest...”
His interest in Margo, who has just turned 15 years old, sparks jealousy from his younger son Junior (Arie Thompson) when Cal admires her shooting and asks her to go hunting with him.

Cal's seduction of Margo is seen by another niece and Cal immediately claims that Margo enticed him indoors and that nothing had happened. He accuses her of being a whore, the same as her mother Luanne (Lindsay Pulsifer: True Blood).

Angrily, she aims a gun at Cal and it goes off; but due to a misunderstanding Junior shoots and kills Bernard leaving Margo to fend for herself. She seeks sanctuary with her father's friends Brian (Dominic Bogart) and Paul (Evan Linder) but runs away when the law comes looking for her.

Taking the rowing boat given to her by her grandfather Murray down river to try and find her mother, Margo loses the boat to her cousin and once she has escaped his clutches she meets and has a brief liaison with student teacher Will (Ajuawak Kapashesit: Outlander), a Cherokee.

Parting from Will she runs into a big bear of a man who is dying from emphysema, Smoke (John Ashton: Beverly Hills Cop; Midnight Run), and his friend Fishbone (Kenn E Head); but she then discovers she is pregnant. Smoke and Fishbone help her; but will she be able to find her mother and will Luanne take her in?

Based on the best-selling mid-western gothic novel Once Upon A River by Bonnie Jo Campbell, the film is described as "a gorgeous, festival-favourite slice of mid-western Americana and ideal for fans of works such as Wendy & Lucy, Leave No Trace, We The Animals and Frozen River", and features a poignant folk music soundtrack.

With a convincing and sympathetic performance from youthful newcomer Kenadi DelaCerna, One Upon A River is the feature directorial debut of acclaimed folk musician Haroula Rose.

As you would expect from the capable hands of Haroula Rose, Once Upon A River is given a movingly sensitive and human treatment as a young woman of American Indian heritage faces trauma and tragedy as she seeks to discover herself and lay the past to rest.

Filmed amid beautiful scenery following the path of a young woman at one with nature, there are a few scenes of a hunting nature but they are not dwelt upon for too long.

The haunting soundtrack features classics and new compositions from both established folk legends and modern, including Will Oldham (Bonnie "Prince" Billy), JD Souther, Rodney Crowell and Bridget St John.

Shot on location in Antioch, Illinois and Woodstock, New York, Once Upon A River also features: Josephine Decker as Joanna Murray; Sam Straley as Billy Murray; Kayla Frischkorn as Julie Slocum; Peter Anthimos Thomson as Toby Murray; Nicholas Kleon Thomas as Tommy Murray; H B Ward as Earl; Jules Reid as Shelley; and Angela Rak as Kim.

Original Music by Zac Rae; Director of Photography is Charlotte Hornsby; Screenplay is by Haroula Rose; Produced by Haroula Rose, Jacqueline "JJ" Ingram and Grace Hahn; Directed by Haroula Rose.

Soundtrack: The Curious Crystals of Unusual Purity, Performed and Written by Bridget St John | Sacred Cows, Performed by Bent Wind | Got What You Need, Performed by Target | Wrong Path, Performed and Written by Johnny Redmond | Dirty Halo, Performed by Bonnie "Prince" Billy | Cold Blooded Sally, Performed and Written by Fran Farley | Nothin' But The Truth, Performed by Ann Hodge | Always Bound, Performed by Bonnie "Prince" Billy | I Wish You Were Mine, Performed and Written by Johnny Redmond | Screwed Up Running, Performed by Mark Turner and Mark Ullrich | The Damage, Performed and Written by Rodney Cowell | Le Nozze Di Figaro (Act III), Performed by Pier Giogio Morandi, Written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Younger Than Your Eyes, Performed and Written by J D Souther | Rachel's Song, Performed and Written by Haroula Rose.

* Once Upon A River will be available in Virtual Cinemas and On Demand from 7 May 2021.

"As you would expect from the capable hands of Haroula Rose, Once Upon A River is given a movingly sensitive and human treatment as a young woman of American Indian heritage faces trauma and tragedy as she seeks to discover herself and lay the past to rest" — *** Maggie Woods, MotorBar

"Beautiful. Shocking. Moving. Haunting. Lovely. Lasting." — Chicago Sun-Times

"Kenadi DelaCerna absolutely shines in her first feature film" — Film Threat

"A most unconventional heroine" — Indiewire

"One of the most anticipated films of the year" — Filmmaker Magazine

"Haroula Rose is an extraordinary talent" — Red Carpet Crash
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