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Alec Baldwin-led Western Rust is now in theaters following the 2021 death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins due to an accidental shooting on set
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Hutchins’ mother Olga Solovey and sister Svetlana Zemko are encouraging audiences to see the film, directed by Joel Souza
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Calling Hutchins’ work “stunning” and “brilliant” in statements shared with PEOPLE, they want her to be “remembered not for the tragedy but for her talent”
After Halyna Hutchins’ tragic death in 2021 on the set of Rust, her family is weighing in on the movie now that it’s in theaters.
Upon the Friday, May 2, release of the Alec Baldwin-led Western, Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, and her sister, Svetlana Zemko, praised it as “stunning” and “brilliant” in a pair of heartfelt statements shared with PEOPLE.
Related: Where Is Halyna Hutchins’ Family Now? Inside Her Parents, Sister, Husband and Son’s Lives After the Fatal Rust Shooting
“I watched my daughter’s stunning film twice,” said Solovey. “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.”
Karen Kuehn
Alec Baldwin in Rust
Adding that she was “just so immensely proud of” Hutchins, Solovey added that her daughter “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.”
Her statement concluded: “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.”
Rust made headlines when a prop gun containing a live round held by Baldwin, 67, accidentally discharged during a scene rehearsal on the film’s New Mexico set, killing Hutchins and injuring writer-director Joel Souza. As the Western resumed filming in Montana in 2023, Baldwin and armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed faced involuntary manslaughter charges and lawsuits from production crew members.
Hutchins’ widower Matthew, who was named an executive producer on the film following the tragedy, filed a wrongful death suit against Baldwin, which has not been fully resolved despite its October 2022 settlement. Last July, the actor-producer’s involuntary manslaughter trial was dismissed with prejudice after his attorneys argued that prosecutors had buried evidence. In March 2024, Gutierrez-Reed was convicted of involuntary manslaughter; she is now serving an 18-month prison sentence.
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“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,” Hutchins’ sister Zemko said of the film.
Using the Ukrainian diminutive for the name Galina, the transliteration of the name Halyna, she added, “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.”
Related: Rust Star Josh Hopkins ‘Didn’t Know What to Think’ About Completing Movie After Halyna Hutchins’ Death (Exclusive)
Rust ends with a dedication to Hutchins, including a quote — “What can we do to make this better?” — that the late cinematographer often said on the movie’s set. In the end credits, Souza’s title card as director is followed by Hutchins’, then Bianca Cline, who took over as cinematographer after the accident.
Rust, starring Baldwin, Josh Hopkins, Patrick Scott McDermott, Travis Fimmel, Frances Fisher and Jake Busey, is in theaters now.
Read the original article on People
