Family, friends of 'Rust' cinematographer Halyna Hutchins plan private ceremony

"Halyna was the love of my life, and our loss of her has devastated our family’s dreams," her husband, Matthew Hutchins, said in a statement.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.Swen Studios / via Reuters
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Family members and close friends of "Rust" cinematographer Halyna Hutchins will come together for a private ceremony.

"Halyna was the love of my life, and our loss of her has devastated our family’s dreams," her husband, Matthew Hutchins, said in a statement. "We feel the silence of her being forever gone as a suffocating stillness in our home."

Hutchins did not say what day the ceremony will be held, but it is expected to take place this weekend. During the ceremony, the late cinematographer's ashes will be interred at an undisclosed location.

"Our love and adoration for her grows as we tell her story, and we hope her work can inspire filmmakers and storytellers around the world," Hutchins said. "We thank the many generous supporters who have been so thoughtful in our time of loss."

Halyna Hutchins, 42, the director of photography of “Rust,” was shot and killed by a prop gun fired by producer and actor Alec Baldwin on the movie's set in October. Director Joel Souza was wounded and is recovering.

According to a search warrant, Baldwin did not know the prop gun he fired had live ammunition, and neither did the assistant director who handed it to him.

Before the shooting, assistant director Dave Halls yelled, “Cold gun,” to indicate that the prop firearm did not have any live rounds, according to an affidavit filed in New Mexico, where the movie was being filmed.

The grave marker for Halyna Hutchins.Matt Hutchins

Sources familiar with the situation previously said the prop gun had misfired before on the set. A prop maker who previously worked with Halls claimed that he allowed unsafe working conditions in past productions.

Halls has not publicly commented on the claims, and Rust Movie Productions said it was not aware of any official complaints about weapons or prop safety on set.

No charges have been filed, and the investigation into the shooting continues.

Hutchins was originally from Ukraine and grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle. She worked as an investigative reporter in Europe before moving to Los Angeles to do film, according to her website.

She graduated from the American Film Institute in 2015 and was selected as one of American Cinematographer’s rising stars of 2019, the site said.