Criticism has arisen over the decision to premiere Alec Baldwin’s new movie, Rust, at a Polish film festival, EnergaCamerimage. The premiere move to the neighbouring country of Poland, after the tragic accidental killing of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the film’s shooting, has been labelled as “tone-deaf” by industry professionals.
Hutchins, aged 42, lost her life in the shooting incident, leading to the conviction of prop armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed for involuntary manslaughter. Baldwin himself faced charges of involuntary manslaughter, which were dismissed in July due to evidence withholding by prosecutors. Despite this, the decision to showcase Rust at the upcoming film festival in Poland has attracted criticism.
Black Panther’s Oscar-nominated Director of Photography, Rachel Morrison, expressed her concern by stating, “I’m all for memorialising Halyna and her beautiful work but not by screening and thereby promoting the film that killed her.” This sentiment was echoed by other notable cinematographers, including Suzie Lavelle, raising awareness of the unsafe practices on the set that led to the tragedy.
A private WhatsApp group of cinematographers, who are regular delegates of the Camerimage Festival, has also expressed their disapproval of the decision, branding it as “distasteful” and “tone-deaf.” However, it has been mentioned that Hutchins’ family, who dropped their lawsuit against Baldwin, reportedly supports the screening of the film at the festival.
The upcoming EnergaCamerimage festival, scheduled from November 16 to November 23 in Poland, will feature the debut tribute screening of Rust. Following the screening, there will be a unique panel discussion with director Joel Souza, who was also injured in the incident, and cinematographer Bianca Cline, who completed the project after Hutchins’ demise. The panel will also include Hutchins’ mentor from the AFI Film school, Stephen Lighthill.
While the decision to showcase Rust at the festival has drawn mixed reactions, it is evident that the tragic events surrounding the film’s production continue to impact the industry and spark discussions about safety protocols in filmmaking.