Update: On Sunday, Sept. 15 at 8:00pm, TIFF announced that it would resume screenings of Russians at War on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The press office did not respond to requests illuminating the backtrack.
In an alarming turn of events, the Toronto International Film Festival is pausing screenings of the documentary Russians at War. Citing security concerns, TIFF acknowledged this is an unprecedented move merely one day after standing by its support for the film, a Canadian-French co-production that offers an anti-war portrait of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine seen through the eyes of Russian soldiers at the front, which ultimately becomes a portrait of cancerous disillusionment with the war effort as Russian soldiers quit, die, and leave their families asking why. The film was slated to have its North American premiere on Friday with encore screenings on Saturday and Sunday. TIFF venues had notably heightened security Wednesday night and Thursday.
“Effectively immediately, TIFF is forced to pause the upcoming screenings of Russians at War on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as we have been made aware of significant threats to festival operations and public safety. While we stand firm on our statement shared yesterday, this decision has been made in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers,” noted the festival in a statement. “As a cultural institution, we support civil discourse about and through films, including differences of opinion, and we fully support peaceful assembly. However, we have received reports indicating potential activity in the coming days that pose significant risk; given the severity of these concerns, we cannot proceed as planned…We believe this film has earned a place in our Festival’s lineup, and we are committed to screening it when it is safe to do so.”
In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service said the decision was made by TIFF organizers without recommendations from TPS, who were not aware of any active threats.
“TIFF’s decision to pause its screenings of Russians at War due to extreme security concerns is heartbreaking for us as filmmakers and Canadian citizens,” noted the producers in a statement. “Our priority as producers, through this production, has been the safety and security of our courageous director, Anastasia Trofimova, despite her steadfast acceptance of these risks to make her documentary. We had assumed those risks would originate within Russia, not Canada.”
The film’s producers include Canadian filmmaker Cornelia Principe, whose TVO-supported documentary To Kill a Tiger was the first Canadian feature doc nominated for an Oscar in 37 years, Canadian Sally Blake, and French producer Philippe Lavasseur. “This temporary suppression is shockingly unCanadian. We call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fully investigate this affront, from within a sovereign government, to our democratic values and a free media,” added the producers.
The selection of Russians at War ignited controversy prior to any of its public or industry screenings at the festival. Protesters assembled at the Cineplex Scotiabank on Tuesday with a rally outside the theatre timed for its industry screening expressing concerns that the documentary offers Russian propaganda that whitewashes Russia’s crimes. The timing, however, indicates that few, if any, of the people protesting the film have actually seen it. Industry peers who have seen the film have unanimously agreed that, while an incredibly difficult film to watch, Russians at War presents an unflattering view of the Russian army that observes the disorganization of the front and the growing disenchant of the soldiers while also documenting the consequences of their actions.
In a prior conversation with POV, Russians at War director Anastasia Trofimova expressed her support for the people of Ukraine while stressing that she sought to explore the psychology of the soldiers on the front lines as a route to peace.
Controversy further ignited when Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland condemned the film and the use of public money to support it and cultural institutions that screen it. The Board of Ontario’s public broadcaster TVO unilaterally withdrew support and bumped the film from its schedule after the organization reiterated its support for the film.
In a response from Freeland’s office today, the Minister’s Deputy Director of Communications Katherine Cuplinskas stated that Freeland’s position wasn’t about whether the film had been made, but spoke with concerns about Canadian public money being used to support the production or exhibition of a film that “attempts to whitewash Russia’s war crimes.” Cuplinskas did not answer if Freeland had seen the film, nor did the Deputy PM’s office acknowledge POV‘s communication that protests were speculations from people who hadn’t actually seen the film. TVO has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Following the controversy, the Documentary Organization of Canada expressed that it was “profoundly alarmed” with the TVO’s decision to withdraw support. The decisions by TIFF and TVO to withdraw support comes at a moment of seismic change for the documentary community. Talking points at festivals and industry panels have noted distributors’ and broadcasters’ risk aversion and growing reluctance to support overtly political documentaries as music docs and celebrity biographies inundate streamers and broadcast windows.
The result could have serious implications for filmmakers eager to depict challenging and provocative stories, while festivals arguably offer an essential forum for conversation. This decision comes in a year in which TIFF’s documentary slate has been widely praised for tackling hot topics, including the Netanyau documentary The Bibi Files, the Adam Kinzinger documentary The Last Republican, and the Palestine diary No Other Land.
This is a developing story.
Read the statement from the producers in full below:
“TIFF’s decision to pause its screenings of Russians at War due to extreme security concerns is heartbreaking for us as filmmakers and Canadian citizens,” noted the producers in a statement. “Our priority as producers, through this production, has been the safety and security of our courageous director, Anastasia Trofimova, despite her steadfast acceptance of these risks to make her documentary. We had assumed those risks would originate within Russia, not Canada.
“This is not a win for Canadians, including Ukrainian Canadians. We condemn Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Ukraine Ambassador to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv, Consul General of Ukraine in Toronto Oleh Nikolenko, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Senators Donna Dasko and Stanley Kutcher, MP Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre), MPP Christine Hogarth (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) and other political and community “leaders.” Their irresponsible, dishonest, and inflammatory public statements have incited the violent hate that has led to TIFF’s painful decision to pause its presentation of Russians at War.
“This temporary suppression is shockingly unCanadian. We call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fully investigate this affront, from within a sovereign government, to our democratic values and a free media.
“We are firmly committed to giving Canadians the opportunity to watch and reflect upon Russians at War. We believe reason and truth will prevail.”
Update (9/13, 9:04 am): This post was updated to include the statement from Toronto Police Services.
Update (9/16, 12:25pm): This post was update to not that TIFF had resumed screenings.
