Three years have passed since the tragic on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Alec Baldwin's indie Western "Rust" finally made its public debut on Wednesday, and the reception was one of warm embrace. The film premiered in a supportive environment at Poland's Camerimage Film Festival, an event dedicated to cinematography achievements. At the premiere, much of the crowd consisted of working directors of photography and production professionals. As the lights came up, director Joel Souza and cinematographer Bianca Cline, who stepped in to finish the movie after a wrongful death lawsuit was settled, were greeted with enthusiastic applause.

Honoring Halyna Hutchins

Before the screening, Camerimage's director Kazimierz Suwala invited the crowd to stand and observe a minute of silence in honor of Hutchins. The festival's founder Marek Zydowicz took the mic, stating that hosting "Rust"'s premiere was Halyna's dream. Rachel Mason, Hutchins' close friend and documentary maker, gave an emotional introduction, setting the record straight on the festival and filmmakers' motivations. She emphasized the controversy and difficulty surrounding the film after the accident and considered Souza and Cline as "real heroes" for completing the project.

Mason said, "There was so much controversy and difficulty surrounding this film. But Souza and Cline returned to set to complete it, and I consider them heroes. They thought of Halyna's son and wanted to do something for him. This was a courageous act to complete the film."

She also noted that she asked many members of the "Rust" team during the production of her doc why they would put themselves back into their emotional nightmare. They responded that they wanted to finish the film to benefit Hutchins' widower and son through the sale of the release rights.

The Director's Remarks

Souza kept his remarks short before the screening, thanking Camerimage and his collaborators, especially his wife who he called his "hero" for helping him through the hardships."You know, we are here in a place that [Halyna] loved so much, probably second only to being on set," Souza said to the Camerimage crowd. "I want to thank you all for coming and for just taking a few hours out of your day to celebrate my friend — her art and her talent."

The Journey to Camerimage

"Rust" is arguably the hottest ticket at Camerimage this year. On the morning tickets became available, the festival's ticketing system temporarily crashed due to the overwhelming demand.However, the film's journey to Camerimage was fraught even in its final stages. When the premiere was announced a month ago, some DPs took to social media to argue that showing the film was a promotional move in poor taste given the accident. The festival emphasized that the premiere was only to honor Hutchins' work and wishes. Suwala also told The Hollywood Reporter that Baldwin was deliberately not invited due to the media spectacle."He added that 'Halyna's mother, who is Ukrainian, is going to attend the screening if she's able to leave her country, but it's not easy right now because of the war.' "The night before the premiere, Hutchins' mother, Olga Solovey, and her attorney sent a statement to the media announcing her displeasure with the festival screening."Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death," Solovey's letter said. "Instead, he seeks to unjustly profit from his killing of my daughter. That is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of 'Rust', especially now when there is still no justice for my daughter."But Mason said she visited Ukraine to interview Solovey for her documentary, and Solovey told her she wanted the film to be shown.

The Story of "Rust"

"Rust" tells the story of a 13-year-old boy (Patrick Scott McDermott) who accidentally kills a rancher in 1880s Wyoming and goes on the run with his grandfather, played by Baldwin as Harland Rust.In October 2021, roughly halfway through filming, Hutchins was killed inside a church set in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Souza had leaned in to see the camera angle, and Baldwin was practicing a crossdraw with his Colt revolver supposed to be loaded with dummy rounds. How a live bullet got onto the set remains a mystery despite two criminal trials and an investigation. The accidental shot also struck Souza in the shoulder, narrowly missing his spine."Rust" has sold in some foreign territories, but producers are still seeking a U.S. distributor. The financial path forward for the film is unclear, with its tragic history considered both an attractant and a repellent for audiences.In the months after Hutchins' death, her widower, Matthew Hutchins, reached a settlement agreement with "Rust" producers. The film's completion was part of the deal, with Matthew named as executive producer and his and Halyna's son, Andros, to benefit financially."The profitability of the movie will trigger the payments to the family," Melina Spadone, counsel for Rust Movie Productions, LLC and for Thomasville Pictures, previously told THR.