MOVIE NEWS – the mother of Halyna Hutchins refused to attend the premiere of Rust: “Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain”, she says…
It’s been three years since cameraman Halyna Hutchins was shot in a tragic accident by Alec Baldwin on the set of his western Rust. The film debuted at the Camerimage Festival in Poland in November 2024 in front of a “low-key” and modest audience, reports Deadline. Not present at the event was Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who publicly refused to appear at the premiere, saying she saw the release of the film as an attempt to profit from her daughter’s death.
According to Variety, Solovey released the following statement through her attorney, Gloria Allred, the day before the screening:
“It was always my hope to meet my daughter in Poland to watch her work come alive on screen… Unfortunately, that was ripped away from me when Alec Baldwin discharged his gun and killed my daughter. Alec Baldwin continues to increase my pain with his refusal to apologize to me and his refusal to take responsibility for her death. 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,’ now when there is still no justice for my daughter.”
Solovey and her family sued the production and Baldwin, and the case is currently pending in New Mexico, where Hutchins died.
This separate lawsuit was announced after another court case was settled, allowing Rust to be completed with the intention that proceeds from the film would go to Hutchins’ widow, Matthew Hutchins, and their son, who was 9 at the time of the accident. Some payments to the family have reportedly not been made, prompting the family’s lawyers to threaten to reopen the lawsuit.
An opportunity to celebrate Halyna Hutchins and her work
Baldwin also did not attend the Camerimage screening, which was a one-time event at the festival. Director Joel Souza and Hutchins’ deputy Bianca Cline presented the film alongside Camerimage executives Marek Żydowicz and Kazik Suwała. Those in attendance were asked to stand for a moment of silence in Hutchins’ memory. The film was dedicated to his memory. All participants appreciated the event as a tribute to Hutchins and his work.
Also in attendance was Hutchins’ friend, filmmaker Rachel Mason, who announced that a documentary about Hutchins’ life and career was in the works. Mason told the audience that she interviewed several crew members who worked on Rust after the fatal shooting, and they said that while they were upset about the film’s controversial nature, they ultimately completed it to help Hutchins’ son:
“When they learned that Rust might help Halyna’s family they thought of one thing: The fact that she has a son and he 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.”
Mason also said that she had interviewed Solovey and claimed that she had signed off on ending the film, contradicting Solovey’s and Allred’s statements the previous day. “If you would like to see the actual interview, I have it,” she said. “It’s real. She spoke those words.”
The producers behind Rust are currently looking for a distributor for the film.
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