Rust premieres at low-key film festival three years after shooting

The film Rust, which gained global attention after the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, has had its premiere at the Camerimage International Film Festival in Poland. The screening comes three years after Hutchins, a Ukrainian-born cinematographer, tragically died on set in New Mexico during a rehearsal for a scene involving actor Alec Baldwin. The event, which took place in the northern Polish city of Torun, was seen as a tribute to Hutchins, who was known for her love of the festival and had attended in the past.

However, the premiere has sparked mixed reactions. Baldwin, the film’s star, was not invited and did not attend, and his involvement in the incident has continued to provoke public debate. Writer and director Joel Souza, who was also wounded in the shooting, spoke to the BBC at the event, explaining that he initially struggled with the idea of returning to the set after the tragedy. “It just hurt too much,” he admitted. However, after discussions with Hutchins’ husband, Matt, he decided to complete the film, dedicating it to her memory.

While some filmmakers and crew members supported the decision to finish the film, the premiere was criticized by others in Hollywood, particularly cinematographers, who saw it as disrespectful to Hutchins’ legacy. Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who is currently suing the production and Baldwin in a civil case, expressed her dismay in a statement. She described the premiere as an attempt to profit from her daughter’s death, noting Baldwin’s refusal to apologize for the incident.

The tragedy occurred in October 2021 when Baldwin was rehearsing a scene with a prop gun that was believed to be loaded with dummy rounds but instead contained a live bullet, killing Hutchins and injuring Souza. In a related legal development, Baldwin was cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges in July, after a judge determined that evidence had been withheld from the defense. In contrast, the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison for failing to properly inspect the weapon and ammunition.

The plot of Rust takes place in 1882 in Wyoming, where a 13-year-old boy is sentenced to death after accidentally killing a rancher. He flees with his grandfather, played by Baldwin. Despite the tragic circumstances surrounding the production, Souza felt a duty to honor Hutchins by completing the film. He explained that once he understood that her family, particularly Matt, wanted the film to be finished, his decision became easier. “It was about honoring her legacy and her memory,” he said, acknowledging that some in the industry were uncomfortable with the idea of continuing after such a loss.

Bianca Cline, who replaced Hutchins as the film’s cinematographer, also attended the premiere. She noted the internal conflict that many people involved with the film had experienced. “Some people think it’s better to deal with this by not participating, while others, like us, think it’s honorable,” she said. Rachel Mason, a close friend of Hutchins who documented the making of Rust, recounted how difficult it was to complete the film amidst the controversy. Some crew members had initially declined to participate, fearing the stigma of working on a film so closely tied to a tragedy.

Despite the polarized opinions, the film itself received praise from some viewers at the festival. Jan, a film colorist from Warsaw, called it “a classic western,” while Leonora, a cinematographer from Belarus, expressed deep emotional reaction to Mason’s speech at the premiere. Some, however, found it hard to disconnect from the real-life tragedy during the film’s intense gunfight scenes, with one viewer remarking that it was difficult not to think of Baldwin’s involvement every time his character fired a weapon.

In defense of the festival, Melina Spadone, a representative for Rust Productions, explained that the Camerimage festival was not about selling films but celebrating the artistry of cinematography. She argued that no one involved in completing the film stood to profit financially, emphasizing that the decision to finish Rust was driven by a desire to honor Hutchins’ legacy.

Ultimately, the Rust premiere in Poland was a moment of both artistic achievement and painful reflection, as those involved with the film navigated the complex emotions and ethical questions surrounding the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins.