In October 2021, the indie Western Rust was rocked by tragedy when cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set by a live round fired from a prop gun wielded by actor Alec Baldwin. The incident triggered a firestorm across the film industry, igniting debates over on-set safety, responsibility, and the future of armorer practices. Now, as Rust sees release after years of legal battles and delays, Hutchins’s family is asking the public to look beyond the headlines and see the art their daughter helped create.
“I watched my daughter’s stunning film twice,” said Olga Solovey, Halyna’s mother. “I was so happy for the success of my daughter because it was filmed so beautifully. I would want everybody to watch it because it was the dream of my daughter and she would want people to see it. I would want people to see the talent, the beauty, the success, and I’m just so immensely proud of her. She had a very specific style of cinematography and she saw the world differently. She could see and capture how the sun sets and how animals behaved. She saw the beauty of it all. She could capture it. She could capture nature. I like the film. I want many people to watch it, and I would want more people to remember her for as long as they can.”
Svetlana Zemko, Halyna’s sister, echoed those sentiments: “The film is amazing, very beautiful and colorful, the shots are just amazing, the composition, the light, even the weather in the frame transfers through the screen. The film is brilliant. Everyone should see Gala’s work; this is high professionalism and high-level artistry. The film is strong. I would want Gala to be remembered not for the tragedy but for her talent and hard work.”
“Remember Her Talent, Not the Tragedy”
Rust, directed by Joel Souza (who was also injured during the on-set shooting), tells the gritty story of a 13-year-old boy on the run with his outlaw grandfather after an accidental killing. Alec Baldwin, who also produced the film, stars as the morally conflicted criminal dragged into a last chance for redemption. Shot in the sweeping plains of New Mexico, the film was meant to channel the raw, rugged energy of old-school Westerns while giving it a modern indie edge. Hutchins’ visual style—naturalistic, precise, and painterly—lends the film its stark soul.
For all the lawsuits, the industry chaos, and the relentless tabloid churn, Rust is still, at its core, a work of independent cinema made by people trying to tell a story. And Halyna Hutchins, by all accounts, told stories with light like few others could.
Are you planning to watch Rust now that it’s out?
