Western Film ‘Rust’ Premieres at Festival Three Years After Fatal On-Set Shooting

The western film “Rust” has made its debut in Poland, occurring three years subsequent to the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on its New Mexico set. According to the organizers of Poland’s Camerimage International Film Festival, the showing served as an homage to the 42-year-old Ukrainian-born cinematographer, who had previously been an admirer and attendee of the festival. Alec Baldwin, the film’s lead actor, was neither extended an invitation nor present at the premiere. Joel Souza, the writer and director who sustained injuries in the shooting incident, informed the BBC at the premiere that there was a period when he “couldn’t even conceive of ever being back on the set ever again, it just hurt too much”. He stated that he reconsidered his decision and opted to finish the movie following a conversation with Hutchins’ husband, Matt. However, the declaration that Camerimage, located in the northern Polish city of Torun, would host the film’s international debut drew criticism from several notable Hollywood cinematographers, who deemed it disrespectful to Hutchins’ memory. Olga Solovey, Hutchins’ mother, who is currently pursuing a civil lawsuit against the production and Alec Baldwin, also did not attend. Through a statement released by her lawyer, she expressed her view that the premiere represents an effort to gain financially from her daughter’s death. She further stated, “Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologise to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death.” In October 2021, while Baldwin was rehearsing a scene on set with a firearm that was intended to contain dummy rounds, the weapon discharged a live round, resulting in Hutchins’ death and Souza’s injury. In July, a judge dismissed an involuntary manslaughter case brought against Baldwin, following the revelation that police and prosecutors had withheld evidence from the defense. In March, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film set’s armourer, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence. Prosecutors alleged she neglected to observe that live bullets had become intermingled with dummy rounds within an ammunition box on set. She has lodged an appeal against this verdict. The narrative of “Rust,” set in 1882 Wyoming, follows a 13-year-old boy condemned to hanging after inadvertently killing a rancher. He subsequently flees with his grandfather, Harlan Rust, portrayed by Baldwin. Souza, who was present at the premiere alongside Bianca Cline, the cinematographer who took over from Hutchins, initially declined multiple requests to finish the film following the tragic shooting. Hutchins’ husband, Matt, ultimately persuaded him to complete the movie, which is dedicated to her. He informed the BBC, “At first I didn’t really 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 the equation for me.” He further elaborated, “It was going to be more about honouring her legacy and her memory, saying that her final work was completed and that began to change my mind on things.” Both Souza and Cline recognized that numerous individuals within the industry felt uneasy regarding his choice. Cline stated to the BBC, “Everybody’s angry, we’re angry as well. It’s something tragic and it’s hard to deal with. Some people think it’s better to deal with that through not participating and other people think it’s honourable like we do. I don’t think there’s any right or wrong answer to this.” Prior to the screening, Rachel Mason, a close friend of Hutchins who documented the production of “Rust,” recounted the challenges involved in finishing the film amidst its surrounding controversies. She mentioned that certain crew members instructed her not to film them on the closed set, fearing, as she put it, that if their involvement with “Rust” became known, “and I might never get a job again.” The crew returned to conclude filming after recognizing that doing so could benefit Hutchins’ family. She remarked, “She had this amazing gift of becoming friends very, very fast with people. And they all fell in love with her.” Ms. Mason additionally recalled a discussion with Hutchins’ mother 18 months prior, wherein the mother expressed her desire for the film’s completion, considering it her daughter’s “big work.” “Rust” portrays the pursuit of a grandfather and grandson against a setting of snow-covered mountains and dusty, tumbleweed-strewn towns. The film deliberately references classic westerns such as John Ford’s ‘The Searchers’ and Sergio Leone’s ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’. Souza shared a strong bond with his own grandfather, who, he mentioned, had a fondness for westerns. Following the screening, several individuals expressed enjoyment of the movie, with Jan, a film colourist from Warsaw, describing it as “a classic western.” Leonora, a cinematographer hailing from Belarus, deemed it brilliant and recounted crying throughout Ms. Mason’s speech. A viewer observed that the numerous gunfight sequences featuring Alec Baldwin had the potential to be distracting. Maciej from Torun commented, “All the time as I was thinking about it, especially during the gunfight scenes, it was hard not to get pulled back out of the movie, especially when Alec Baldwin’s holding a gun, but most of the time it was just a really, really enjoyable experience.” In a statement, Melina Spadone, a representative for Rust Movie Productions, defended the festival in response to some of the criticism. She stated, “The Camerimage festival celebrates the artistry of cinematographers; it is not a festival for buyers. “None of the producers of Rust stand to benefit financially from the film. The suggestion that those involved in completing Halyna Hutchins’ film were motivated by profit is disrespectful to those who worked tirelessly to honor her legacy.”