Dispute over screening: Premiere of “Rust”: dead camerawoman’s mother doesn’t come

Controversy surrounding the world premiere of the Western “Rust”: The mother of the camerawoman Halyna Hutchins, who was killed during filming, will not come to the screening in protest. US actor Alec Baldwin (66) refuses to apologize to her and take responsibility for her daughter’s death, Olga Solovey said through her lawyer Glora Allred. “Instead, he wants to profit unfairly from the killing of my daughter.”

Three years after Hutchins’ death during filming, the film is scheduled to have its world premiere today at the “Camerimage” film festival in Poland. An appearance by US director Joel Souza is planned. Actor Baldwin is not expected. Festival director Kazimierz Suwala initially told the “Hollywood Reporter” that Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, would also attend the premiere if she was able to leave her country, which is at war, to do so.

The Ukrainian-born camerawoman was fatally injured while filming the western on a film ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in October 2021. Lead actor and producer Baldwin was handling a gun while rehearsing a scene when a shot went off. Director Souza was hit in the shoulder by the projectile and injured during the incident. Investigations later revealed that there was a real bullet in the Colt. Hutchins leaves behind a husband and a son.

Weapons master Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was in charge of gun safety on the set, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for involuntary manslaughter last spring. The question of how the live ammunition got onto the set has not yet been clarified. Gutierrez-Reed and Baldwin had repeatedly denied blame for the incident.

Baldwin was also charged with involuntary manslaughter in a separate case. But in July the process that had already started was surprisingly stopped. The defense lawyers had accused the public prosecutor of withholding evidence and thus gross misconduct.

Civil lawsuit sought against Baldwin

The camerawoman’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, had reached an out-of-court settlement with Baldwin and the production company for compensation, but Variety reported that there were irregularities in the payments. Therefore, the widower and his lawyer would consider filing another lawsuit.

In addition, the parents and younger sister, who live in Ukraine, are filing a civil lawsuit against Baldwin and others involved in the filming of “Rust.” This involves compensation for the pain caused by the death of the child.

Filming continued after the accident

Filming, which was initially stopped, was continued in 2023 by director Souza in the US state of Montana. In “Rust,” Baldwin plays the bandit Harland Rust, who has a bounty on his head. Together with his 13-year-old grandson, he has to flee from bounty hunters and law enforcement. The camerawoman’s widower served as an executive producer. At his request, cinematographer Bianca Cline continued Hutchins’ work.

According to the director of the “Camerimage” film festival to the “Hollywood Reporter”, the film will be shown in Torun because camerawoman Hutchins told her friends before filming began that this was her dream.