The American actor who accidentally killed the cinematographer on the set of the western in 2021, « won’t come » at the Camerimage film festival. The victim’s relatives also refused to attend the screening.
Rust a western with Alec Baldwin whose filming was mourned by the death of its director of photography, the Ukrainian Halyna Hutchins, will have its world premiere on Wednesday at a film festival in Poland. During the filming of the film in New Mexico, in October 2021, American actor Alec Baldwin brandished a weapon supposed to contain only blank bullets but the projectile was very real. The shot fatally struck Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
Alec Baldwin himself « won’t come » at the festival, the organizers told AFP, without giving the reason for his absence. For their part, those close to Halyna, her mother, her father and her sister, decided to boycott the premiere of the film, accusing the actor of never having apologized to them and of “ refusing to take responsibility for death » of the young woman. “ Instead, he seeks to unfairly profit from the murder of my daughter. This is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of Rust,” wrote Olga Soloveï, the operator’s mother, in a statement sent to AFP.
Joel Souza will present the film at the Camerimage film festival dedicated to images in cinema and directors of photography, in Torun in northern Poland. “ Nearly three years after the tragic death of Halyna Hutchins (…) the Camerimage festival intends to honor her memory and remind the world of her legacy “, declared the organizers before the premiere. They added that it was about achieving “ a dream of Halyna, who, from the early stages of production of Rustconvinced Souza that their work should be presented » at this festival.
18 months in prison for the gunsmith
The western which tells the story of an accidental murder brings to mind this art which sometimes merges with life. The concept of Rust was born from research that Joel Souza had carried out on the youngest person hanged in the American West. The director and Alec Baldwin developed the original idea into a screenplay telling the story of an outlaw who rides a horse to save his 13-year-old grandson convicted of an accident believed to be murder.
« Alec Baldwin seeks to profit unfairly from the murder of my daughter. This is the reason why I refuse to attend the festival for the promotion of Rust »
Olga Soloveï, mother of Halyna Hutchins
Following this tragedy, the production’s gunsmith, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was sentenced in April to 18 months in prison for accidentally loading the actor’s pistol with a real bullet. Alec Baldwin’s trial for manslaughter on the set of his western Rust was canceled due to a procedural flaw, while bullets related to the case in the possession of the investigators were not transmitted to the defense. Filming on the film resumed last year in Montana.
« Rising star » d’Hollywood
Originally from Ukraine, Halyna Hutchins grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle, “ surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines ”, according to its website. After studying and working as a journalist in Ukraine and throughout Europe, she joined the prestigious American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles in 2015. She quickly rose through the ranks of Hollywood cinematographers. In 2019, she was named by American magazine Cinematographer as one of the rising stars in the industry.
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While the tragedy sparked calls for a total ban on firearms on film sets, Hollywood preferred to opt for less radical measures. Industry guidelines on the use of firearms were revised last winter, for the first time in 20 years. Among other changes, they now specify that only a gunsmith can issue a weapon to an actor. In the case of Rustprosecutors said Alec Baldwin was given the gun by the film’s first assistant director, who later pleaded guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Festival shunned after misogynistic comments
Chaired by 2023 Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, the 2024 edition of Camerimage will close its doors on November 23. The festival began with intense controversy after French director Coralie Fargeat withdrew her film The SubstanceBest Screenplay Award at Cannes. She said she made this decision “ after discovering extremely misogynistic and offensive remarks » by the festival’s founder, Marek Zydowicz.
In an article published this month in the magazine Cinematography WorldMarek Zydowicz a qualifié de « crucial » the growing recognition of women cinematographers and directors. He also wondered whether this would not lead to “ sacrificing works and artists of exceptional artistic achievement just to make room for mediocre film production ? “. These remarks, for which Marek Zydowicz later apologized, also led British director Steve McQueen to absent himself from the festival in protest.
