Rory Kennedy's Trial of Alec Baldwin revisits Rust tragedy and court case
Rory Kennedy's documentary The Trial of Alec Baldwin was released on 1 October with a running time of 1 hour 51 minutes, revisiting the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the court case that followed, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The film centres on the fatal shooting on the set of Rust, a low-budget independent western. Hutchins died in October 2021 after a gun held by star and producer Baldwin discharged during preparation for a scene.
Kennedy, an Oscar-nominated director, began filming with Baldwin in winter 2023. That access started when the state of New Mexico filed criminal charges against the actor, the same account reports.
Baldwin did not shape the finished film. He had no editorial control over the documentary, received no payment for taking part and provided no financing for it.
The project takes a verité approach, a fly-on-the-wall style that follows events as they unfold, to the shooting and the legal battle that came after, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The questions at its core are responsibility, guilt, blame, punishment and justice in the wake of the shooting, as described in trailer coverage.
Distribution is split between cinema and overseas sales. Abramorama, led by AB2 Media Group chief executive Karol Martesko-Fenster, acquired the film for release, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Blue Ant is handling international distribution, while the film held its world premiere at DOC NYC.
A trailer for the documentary was released in September. DOC NYC has since shared a press interview with Kennedy about the ethical choices and human stories behind the production.
For audiences, there are further cinema dates ahead. The film is listed for the Mary D. Fisher and Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatres on 23-29 October, including a 4:00 p.m. screening on Friday, 23 October.
The documentary stands apart from The Baldwins, a separate reality series about the Baldwin family that aired on TLC, according to Variety.
What makes this stand out is access. Kennedy has said it was "very difficult" for Baldwin to watch the finished film.
