Story Syndicate is giving acclaimed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins her due with a new feature documentary that just entered production. The documentary seeks to showcase her life beyond her highly-publicized death, exploring her youth and journey to becoming one of the most-desired cinematographers in the indie film space, according to a report from Deadline. Directed by Emmy nominee Rachel Mason, the film has the full support of Hutchins' husband Matt Hutchins and will be produced by Julee Metz of Story Syndicate. Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, Mala Chapple, and Kate Barry will all executive produce under the Syndicate banner as well.
Hutchins had spent much of her youth on a remote Soviet naval base and later in Kyiv, Ukraine where she developed a love for film. Starting off working on documentary films, she'd eventually move to Los Angeles and focus entirely on improving her craft, eventually becoming a celebrated cinematographer for indie filmmakers. She'd earn high praise working with Adam Egypt Mortimer on Archenemy and Pollyanna McIntosh on Darlin' among many others. She'd also pick up a Jury Prize for Best Cinematography for Treacle at the English Riviera Film Festival. Over the course of her career, she garnered over 30 credits working in the cinematography departments or as the director of photography for a variety of films and series.
With exclusive access to Hutchins's archives, the currently unnamed documentary will be able to tell her full story as a person and a creative. It also aims to examine her death and the surrounding circumstances. Last year, Hutchins was fatally shot on the set of the indie western Rust when Alec Baldwin fired a live round from a prop gun he was told was "cold." The incident also injured director Joel Souza and caused the production to shut down for a significant amount of time as investigations were underway and the family worked through a wrongful death lawsuit. It was a grim, tragic reminder of how things can go terribly wrong on set, and support and mourning poured in from throughout the industry for the cinematographer. Hutchins would later be honored by AFI with a memorial scholarship to help other up-and-coming female cinematographers. Producers, including Baldwin, finally settled last month for an undisclosed amount of money and an executive producer role for Hutchins' husband on the film.
Official Statements From the Director and Producer
Mason released an official statement reflecting on the importance of highlighting who Hutchins was with the documentary and what Hutchins meant to her as a person:
"Halyna was on the cusp of making a lasting mark on cinema. As a filmmaker, I wanted to make movies with her. Never could I have imagined that I would be making a film about her. The world lost a great artist, but I lost a friend. The fact that her brilliance as an artist was instantly overshadowed by the circumstances around her death, pains me deeply. This film allows us the opportunity to share her humanity and talent with the world, and to experience the journey of her collaborators working to complete her final creative work. Halyna was destined for greatness, and she still is."
Metz, meanwhile recounted her own relationship with Hutchins as well as why she came aboard the project, adding:
"Halyna and I worked in the same industry and shared a passion for storytelling, but what bonded us as friends was motherhood. Our families became incredibly close over the years and when the unimaginable happened, I knew I needed to pay tribute to Halyna by telling her incredible story in the fullest way possible. Rachel and I are thrilled to be able to partner with Story Syndicate to make this vision come to life, and we’re honored that Matt Hutchins has entrusted us with her story."
With this film, the hope is that Hutchins will be remembered for far more than just the horrific incident that ended her life. We'll have more on the documentary as work gets underway. Check out Hutchins' cinematography work in the trailer for Archenemy down below.