Three years after the on-set tragedy that claimed the life of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, the Western Rust premiered at the Camerimage International Film Festival in Toruń, Poland.
The screening was dedicated to Hutchins, a Ukrainian-born filmmaker who had previously attended the festival and was deeply respected in the industry.
The film, starring Alec Baldwin, tells the story of a 13-year-old boy sentenced to hang after accidentally killing a rancher.
He escapes with his grandfather, played by Baldwin, leading to a tense manhunt through snow-capped mountains and dust-filled towns.
Paying homage to classic Westerns like The Searchers and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the movie showcases a visually striking narrative tied to its genre’s legacy.
Despite the dedication, the premiere sparked criticism from some in Hollywood, with detractors calling it inappropriate.
Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who has filed a lawsuit against Baldwin and the production, issued a statement condemning the event as an attempt to profit from her daughter’s death.
Solovey expressed frustration with Baldwin, accusing him of failing to take responsibility for the fatal incident, in which a gun discharged live ammunition during rehearsal, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.
Baldwin did not attend the premiere, and the case against him was dismissed earlier this year.
However, the film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months in prison after prosecutors determined she failed to prevent live rounds from mixing with dummy ammunition on set.
Joel Souza, who was injured in the shooting, initially resisted completing the project, saying he couldn’t imagine returning to it.
Conversations with Hutchins’ husband, Matt, eventually persuaded him to finish the film as a way of honoring her memory and legacy.
Bianca Cline, who stepped in as the new cinematographer, acknowledged the difficult emotions and industry-wide discomfort surrounding the decision.
“Some believe finishing the film is honorable, while others think stepping away is more respectful,” she said. “There’s no definitive right or wrong answer.”
Rachel Mason, a close friend of Hutchins who documented the completion of Rust, described the challenges faced by the crew, some of whom hesitated to continue the project out of fear it might harm their careers.
Ultimately, many returned to ensure Hutchins’ final work would be completed, motivated by the idea that it could help support her grieving family.
Audience reactions to the premiere were varied. While some praised the film as a “classic Western,” others found Baldwin’s involvement distracting during gunfight scenes, given the context of the tragedy.
One viewer remarked that although the movie was engaging, Baldwin holding a gun pulled them out of the story at times.
In defense of the festival, a representative for Rust Movie Productions stated that the screening was not motivated by financial gain.
They emphasized that Camerimage is a festival focused on cinematography, celebrating the artistry of films rather than commercial interests.
The decision to premiere Rust was framed as a tribute to Halyna Hutchins and her legacy in the film industry.
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