World premiere: Premiere of “Rust” with a minute’s silence for the dead camerawoman

The world premiere of the western “Rust” took place in Poland with a minute’s silence for camerawoman Halyna Hutchins, who was killed during filming. US director Joel Souza paid tribute to Hutchins after the screening. “Halyna was a storyteller. She would have become a director at some point, there is no doubt about that,” he said at the Camerimage film festival in Torun.

Hutchins’ mother canceled her original plan to attend the premiere. 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.” The organizers had originally announced that Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, wanted to come if conditions in the embattled country allowed her.

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 injured by the projectile in 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.

Civil proceedings have also been initiated

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.

The camerawoman’s husband, Matthew Hutchins, reached an out-of-court settlement with Baldwin and the production company for compensation. In addition, the parents and younger sister, who live in Ukraine, are filing a civil lawsuit against Baldwin and others involved in the filming. 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. At first he couldn’t imagine ever doing a film again, said Souza after the premiere in Torun. But Hutchins’ husband convinced him that people should associate the camerawoman not only with her tragic end, but also with her work. “I kept every picture she took,” Souza said.

Hutchins shaped the “look” of the film, said camerawoman Bianca Cline in Torun, who continued the work of the killed colleague. She tried to continue the style.

In “Rust” Baldwin plays the bandit Harland Rust, who is on a special mission. His 13-year-old orphaned grandson Lucas, who doesn’t know his grandfather, accidentally shot a man and is sentenced to death by hanging. Before that happens, Rust frees the boy from prison. The two flee on horseback from bounty hunters and law enforcement officers towards Mexico.

“Rust” has many scenes that you would expect from a western. The classic brawls in the saloon, the showdown on the dusty road, the chases on horseback. The bandit Rust, played by Baldwin, draws his weapon countless times. At the same time, the film also borrows from the road movie. On their journey together, the rabid grandpa and his suspicious grandson slowly get closer to each other. The film is particularly impressive because of the shots of the landscape, which appear as rough, inhospitable and dangerous as the characters’ customs.

Film festival highlights work of cinematographers

The Camerimage film festival in Torun, western Poland, where the film premiered, is considered a special tip for cineastes because it highlights the work of cameramen. At the premiere, festival organizer Marek Zydowicz said: “We organized this screening because this was Halyna’s dream. She wanted this film to be shown on Camerimage because her friends always meet here.” This wish of the camerawoman and the artistic quality of the film were the deciding factor in the decision to show it there.