Ontario’s public broadcaster TVO is pulling its support for the documentary Russians at War. The Canadian-French co-production, directed by Russian-Canadian journalist Anastasia Trofimova, sparked controversy ahead of its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Russians at War is an anti-war portrait of the Russian invasion of Ukraine seen through the eyes of Russian soldiers on the front lines.
In a statement posted to the TVO website, Chris Day, chair of TVO’s board of directors, stated that the broadcaster “has decided to respect the feedback we have received, and TVO will no longer be supporting or airing Russians at War. TVO will be reviewing the process by which this project was funded and our brand leveraged.”
TVO’s board did not elaborate on what that feedback was. A request to Day and TVO has yet to receive a reply. TIFF said in a statement that screenings will go ahead as planned. “In our view, in no way should this film be considered Russian propaganda,” said TIFF. “While we understand the concerns expressed by many, we believe, like the Venice Film Festival and other international festivals who have programmed the film, that this Canadian documentary merits a place in our selection.”
The TVO board’s decision to pull the film from the schedule backtracks on a statement made by TVO Education Group on Sept. 6, which noted: “Russians at War is at its core an anti-war film. It is unauthorized by Russian officials and was made at great personal risk to the filmmaker, who was under constant threat of arrest and incarceration for trying to tell an unofficial story. This film shows the increasing disillusionment of Russian soldiers as their experience at the front doesn’t jive with the media lies their families are being told at home.”
Russians at War sees Trofimova question Russian soldiers about war crimes, including rapes of Ukrainians, to show audiences the mindset of the men on the front lines and their denial of events reported in western media. She also learns about the motivations for fighting, with the final frames of the film observing the grieving families of fallen Russian soldiers as they lament the futility of the war. Protesters have characterized Trofimova’s film as Russian propaganda.
In an interview with POV prior to the film’s TIFF premiere, Trofimova expressed her support for Ukraine and said that her intent for showing this side of the story was to use understanding as a route to peace. “We wanted to tell the story because there’s so much lying in the media. A lot of them [Russian soldiers] call their families and their families are giving them a completely different story about how the war is going, even on the front where they are,” Trofimova said. “They’re telling them how everybody’s winning and all that jazz, so for them, so I think it was important to have some document of their lives and the last moments of their lives.”
Following the premiere of Russians at War at the Venice Film Festival, protests in Toronto began with vitriolic statements and targeted harassment against members of the press who had covered the film and spoken with Trofimova ahead of the film’s TIFF premiere. A protest outside the Cineplex theatre on Sept. 10 ahead of the film’s first industry screening drew a sizable crowd asking TIFF to pull the film from the festival. It is unclear from messaging and statements whether people opposing the film have actually seen it. Protests preceded both the public and industry screenings at the festival. The first public screening of the film is scheduled for its North American premiere on Friday, Sept. 13.
The controversy also saw Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland condemn the film and the use of public money supporting it. POV sent a request to Freeland’s office to ascertain if and how she had seen the film. Said request has not received comment.
Ironically, TVO’s decision to pull the film came mere hours after an industry panel at TIFF where filmmakers praised TVO for its support for filmmakers eager to take risks and engage audiences with challenging and topical films. 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. A statement from the producers indicated they were not consulted by TVO’s board regarding its decision.
“We are shocked by the TVO Board of Directors’ sudden decision, made without consultation with the filmmakers, to withdraw their support for Russians at War. We acknowledge the pain and anger that Ukrainians in Canada, including refugees of the war, are expressing. We full-heartedly support the right to peaceful protest and expressions of criticism. We have hoped that such criticism and discussion would be informed by audiences who have seen the film and drawn their conclusions from what they have seen, not what they have heard,” said the producers in a statement.
The film received additional funding and industry vetting, including support from the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund. “As a former Senior Industry Manager at Hot Docs, I was the administrator of the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund when Russians at War was selected to receive production support in 2022. I have also now seen the finished film, which evidently cannot be said for the overwhelming majority of those who decry it as Russian propaganda. Indeed, having actually seen the film, the notion that it is pro-Russian propaganda is bewilderingly upside down,” said Julian Carrington, formerly of Hot Docs and current executive manager of the Racial Equity Media Collective, via email.
“As I experienced it, Russians at War is a resoundingly damning portrait of the Russian fighting force, depicting its soldiers as lacking purpose, conviction, and, at times, basic battlefield competence,” added Carrington. “It depicts Russian soldiers as demoralized and disillusioned, lamenting a reality on the ground that bears no resemblance to the triumphalist narratives portrayed in Russian media. Several participants openly question the war’s justification, while other soldiers admit their only motivation is money—though the Russian military is apparently in such disarray that some claim to have not been paid for several months. The film depicts combat units suffering heavy losses and at least one soldier abandoning the front.”
TVO’s decision 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.
In a statement, Documentary Organization of Canada executive director Sarah Spring said DOC was “profoundly alarmed” by the unilateral decision by the TVO Board. “This project, a Canadian-French co-production, was developed through a multi-year collaborative effort involving the filmmakers and TVO’s Documentary team. TVO’s team has traditionally operated with editorial independence, fostering essential collaboration with independent filmmakers through established journalistic processes of review and discussion. The Board’s decision undermines these fundamental processes and raises serious concerns about political interference, and must be confronted in order to preserve the integrity of our media institutions,” said DOC. “Independent media is the cornerstone of democracy, essential for ensuring accountability and informed public discourse. Documentaries bring critical in-depth perspectives that allow for nuance, context and reflection. Protecting the documentary creator’s ability to explore controversial subjects is vital for a healthy society. This action by the Board of a public broadcaster to censor content poses a serious threat to independent media in Canada. TVO’s decision risks setting a dangerous precedent and must be immediately reversed.”
“We are documentary filmmakers with, between us, decades of experience in producing socially and politically committed films. TVO has been a primary funder and collaborator in this Canada-France co-production for over two years. Documentaries provide a public service by offering insight into the realities of conflict, which can contribute to greater global understanding, informed debate, and change,” noted the producers in a statement. “The Canadian government has consistently recognized the importance of transparency and public access to information, particularly in conflict zones, where understanding is critical for international discourse. TVO’s heat-of-the-moment decision contradicts these principles. This bow to political pressure, made by the TVO Board of Directors, not its management, sends a chill across the entire independent filmmaking community in Canada.”
Update: this post was updated to include a statement from Julian Carrington regarding Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund support.
Update: this post was updated to include statements from TIFF and DOC.
