A new documentary titled “Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna” will take a closer look at the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust.” The film, directed and produced by Rachel Mason, promises to “take viewers inside that tragic day and its aftermath, told first-hand by many of the people who lived it.” It is set to premiere on March 11 on Hulu. Mason, who was a friend and collaborator of Hutchins, said in a statement, “While she was alive, I could never have imagined making a film about her. My hope was to make films with her, and to support her in all the many films that she was sure to make.
In the media frenzy which followed her death, it felt as if Halyna was erased, her loss eclipsed by the surrounding controversies. Our film aims to keep her at the center, while offering a portrait of the experience of those with whom she spent her final 12 days.”
On October 21, 2021, a prop gun held by actor Alec Baldwin fired a live bullet on the set of “Rust,” killing Hutchins and wounding the film’s director, Joel Souza. The documentary will combine accounts from those who were on the set that day and those who lost a cherished friend and colleague.
Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter, but the case against him was eventually dropped due to incompetence by the local district attorney’s office in New Mexico.
Halyna’s tragic final days recounted
Though the case was refiled in early 2024, the New Mexico Attorney General’s office decided in December not to pursue the appeal on behalf of the prosecution.
The documentary is produced by Julee Metz, Kate Barry, Jon Bardin, and Will Cohen for Story Syndicate, and Jessica Grimshaw, Nick Shumaker, and Jennifer Sears for Anonymous Content. Executive producers include Story Syndicate’s Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, and Tommy Coriale; Concordia Studio’s Lizzie Fox and Casey Meurer; Anonymous Content’s David Levine; and Matthew Hutchins, Halyna’s husband. Hutchins, originally from Ukraine, earned a graduate degree in international journalism from Kyiv National University.
She also attended the American Film Institute and was recognized as one of American Cinematographer’s Rising Stars of 2019. She worked on more than 30 feature-length films, short films, and TV miniseries. A special tribute at the Camerimage International Cinematography Film Festival in Toruń, Poland, in November will honor Hutchins’ work.