The movie “Western Rust” has finally premiered in Poland, three years after the tragic accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on set in New Mexico.
The screening at Poland’s Camerimage International Film Festival served as a tribute to the late Ukrainian-born cinematographer, who had been a fan of the event and had attended in the past.
Notably, the movie’s star Alec Baldwin was not in attendance at the premiere. Writer and director Joel Souza, who was also wounded in the shooting, expressed his initial reluctance to return to set after the tragic incident.
However, after conversations with Hutchins’ husband, Matt, Souza decided to complete the film in honor of her memory.
Despite the intention to pay homage to Hutchins, the decision to screen the movie at Camerimage has faced criticism from prominent cinematographers in Hollywood for being disrespectful to her memory.
Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who is pursuing legal action against the production, and Alec Baldwin, boycotted the premiere, stating that she sees it as an attempt to profit from her daughter’s death.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting, where a live bullet was mistakenly used on set, remain a mystery.
While Alec Baldwin faced an involuntary manslaughter case initially, it was dismissed later due to evidence withholding by police and prosecutors. The armorer on set, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and is serving an 18-month prison sentence.
Set in 1882 in Wyoming, “Rust” follows the story of a 13-year-old boy sentenced to be hanged for accidentally killing a rancher. He goes on the run with his grandfather, played by Alec Baldwin.
Despite the controversies surrounding the film, the decision to complete it was supported by Hutchins’ family and colleagues.
The completion of “Rust” was a challenging yet meaningful process for everyone involved, with crew members returning to finish filming to honor Hutchins’ memory.
The movie captures the manhunt for grandfather and grandson amidst the backdrop of snow-capped mountains and tumbleweed dirt towns, paying homage to classic westerns like ‘The Searchers’ and ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.’
