Alec Baldwin’s ‘Rust’ Gets Polite Response at Controversial Premiere

Over three years after the accidental on-set death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, Alec Baldwin‘s Western film “Rust” received a polite response during its controversial premiere Wednesday at the EnergaCamerimage festival in Toruń, Poland.

The audience clapped through the film’s closing credits, strengthening their applause when a dedication to Hutchins appeared. However, a fair amount of moviegoers left the theater before the credits ended and prior to a Q&A with director Joel Souza — who was also injured in the October 2021 gun accident that took place while filming in New Mexico — and cinematographer Bianca Cline, who completed the movie.

The premiere opened with Camerimage director Marek Żydowicz asking the audience to stand for a moment of silence for Hutchins. Cinematographer Rachel Mason, Hutchins’ friend who made a documentary about the completion of the film, then made an emotional speech.

“I feel strongly that I need to make a statement about a very misunderstood film and the people who made it, who I believe are heroic people,” she said, underlining that the crew returned to set after the accident because of their dedication to and love for Hutchins.

“You could just feel and see the trauma that they had gone through, like a war zone. And I was like, ‘Why would you put yourself back into your most difficult emotional nightmare?’” she said. “And every single person had the same response to me. When they learned that this film ‘Rust’ might help Halyna’s family, they thought of one thing: the fact that she has a son, and that son doesn’t get to have a mother anymore. And if they could do something for that little boy, then why would they not be there?”

Controversy erupted over the screening of “Rust” at Camerimage when it was announced last month. Żydowicz responded with a statement at that time, which said in part, “The sole purpose of this screening is to honor…