The Western film Rust premiered at the Poland Film Festival on Wednesday, three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set in New Mexico. Rust’s star actor, Alec Baldwin, wasn’t invited and didn’t attend the screening at the festival. Writer and director Joel Souza, who was wounded on set, told the BBC that he “couldn’t even conceive being back on set at one point; it just hurt too much.” However, Souza changed his mind after speaking with Hutchins’ husband, Matt. The fatal shooting happened back in 2021 while the movie was still in its filming stage.
Matt wanted the movie to be finished and served as an executive producer. Before showing Rust, organizers called for a short moment of silence as a tribute to the Ukrainian-born cinematographer. Rust, which includes many scenes of shootouts, is the story of a 13-year-old boy who’s sentenced to be hanging after accidentally killing a rancher. He goes on the run with his estranged grandfather, who Baldwin plays. Before her tragic death, Hutchins had filmed more than half of the movie.
Rust Premieres at The Poland Film Festival
Organizers made the screening a tribute to Hutchins, an avid fan who had attended the event in the past. Baldwin was not at the premiere, and he wasn’t even invited. The move to release the film at the Film Festival was met with some displeasure from prominent cinematographers, who cited it as disrespectful to Hutchins’ memory.
Olga Solovey, Hutchins’ mother, is suing the production company and Baldwin in a civil action lawsuit. Additionally, she did not attend the premiere either. Solovey’s lawyer released a statement regarding the screening as an attempt to profit off her daughter’s tragic death.
“Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death,” she said. In March, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
According to prosecutors, she did not notice that live bullets were mixed with dummy rounds in an ammunition box on set. She has filed an appeal against the guilty verdict. At first, Souza refused to complete the film after the shooting, but Matt changed his mind. Souza decided that the premiering of the film would be best to honor Hutchins’ and her legacy.
“At first, I didn’t know if I wanted to do this, to be honest, but as I found out that this is what Matt wanted, this is what the family wanted, it started to change my mind on things,” Souza said in speaking with the BBC. Several people that the BBC spoke to said they enjoyed the film, although one viewer noted that the gunfight scenes with Baldwin could be “distracting.”
Rust is about a 13-year-old boy who has to fend for himself and his younger brother. He then goes on the fun and encounters his estranged grandfather (Baldwin). Hutchins’ widower filed a wrongful death lawsuit but reached an undisclosed settlement last year.
Baldwin eventually had to go to court for the shooting. His trial officially began in July, and the jury panel was chosen on July 9. Baldwin eventually had to go to court for the shooting. However, in a shocking turn of events, Baldwin’s trial was dismissed after his defense attorneys raised new questions about the evidence handled by the New Mexico Law Enforcement Officers and prosecutors. The movie’s assistant director Dave Halls took a plea deal for a misdemeanor charge. Hutchins was struck in the chest when the live round was fired.
Rust Movie Set Accident
Time of the Incident
On October 21, 2021, Hutchins was fatally shot on set while filming the movie. The gun that Baldwin was using fired a live round, killing Hutchins and injuring Souza. The prop masters union confirmed that Baldwin’s gun had a live round the following day. Hutchins had shot films like Archenemy and Blindfire; she was 42 years old when she passed. The Los Angeles Times reported that calls for 911 were made at 1:50 p.m. on set at the Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Also, Souza himself was wounded by the live round in the gun Baldwin was using.
Souza was released from the Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center later that day after being treated for his wounds. In a statement provided to Insider, the sheriff’s office revealed that “the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged.” The sheriff also revealed that Baldwin fired the prop gun on set. On the audio 911 calls, a supervisor is heard saying that a camerawoman and a director had been “accidentally shot.” Hutchins was pronounced dead after being airlifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital in critical condition. Before her death, there were alleged safety concerns on set.
Alec Baldwin’s Court Trial
Baldwin released a statement on his X account the day after the shooting. “There aren’t words to convey my shock and sadness regarding the tragic accident that took the life of Halyna Hutchns, a wife, a mother, and deeply admired colleague of ours.” He added that he is “cooperating with police to address how the tragedy occurred.” In an affidavit a day after the shooting, Baldwin stated that he was told by Halls, that the gun was not loaded. A search warrant was issued on the movie set, and a judge ordered all equipment to be searched for evidence.
Since the tragedy, many lawsuits have been filed, and there has been a profound awakening inside Hollywood over the use of real guns on TV and film sets. Baldwin denied responsibility for the fatal tragedy, citing that Halls told him that the gun wasn’t loaded and that live ammunition is banned on sets. The actor denied that he pulled the trigger, but prosecutors said that forensic reports disputed that account. The bullet passed through Hutchins’ upper body and hit Souza. Five additional live rounds were found on set after the tragic incident, including the gun belt assigned to Baldwin.
Final Thoughts
It was a bittersweet moment for those involved in the film, and the screening was dedicated to Hutchins’ honor and memory. Although there were some objections to premiering the film, Souza and company decided to dedicate it to the 42-year-old Ukrainian-born cinematographer.
Baldwin was charged with manslaughter, but the case was eventually dismissed back in July. Hopefully, moving forward, there can be more safety measures in place on sets so that tragedies like this won’t happen again. Rachel Mason, a close friend of Hutchins, recounted a discussion she had with her about wanting to finish the film because it was her “big work.”
Hutchins was born on April 9, 1979, in Zhytomyrska, Ukraine. She worked on many films before Rust and completed much of it before her death. The audience met the movie was applause through the movie’s end credits, strengthening the applause when a dedication to Hutchins appeared on-screen. However, some attendees did leave the event before the movie rolled its end credits. Hutchins was posthumously awarded honorary membership in the American Society of Cinematographers. Also, a Halyna Hutchins Memorial Scholarship Fund was launched by the AFI.
