Vincent Ward's colonial epic River Queen debuted at the Toronto Film Festival (to a standing ovation) this week. And those involved are hoping that the film, which Ward believes is possibly his best, will not be overshadowed by the disasters and controversy that have surrounded it.

When the cry went out that "It's a wrap", and filming finished on New Zealand's most ambitious and controversial historical feature, River Queen, lead star Samantha Morton gave each crew member a bottle of Bollinger. But far from choking on their gratitude, for many it was too little, too late.

River of DreamsVincent Ward's colonial epic River Queen debuted at the Toronto Film Festival (to a standing ovation) this week. And those involved are hoping that the film, which Ward believes is possibly his best, will not be overshadowed by the disasters and controversy that have surrounded it.

When the cry went out that "It's a wrap", and filming finished on New Zealand's most ambitious and controversial historical feature, River Queen, lead star Samantha Morton gave each crew member a bottle of Bollinger. But far from choking on their gratitude, for many it was too little, too late.

River of Dreams