Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is defending its selection of the Canada-France documentary Russians At War heading into Friday’s North American premiere, after Ukrainian-Canadian protesters branded the film Russian propaganda.
“TIFF acknowledges and respects the concerns expressed and discussion taking place about the Canadian documentary Russians At War,” the TIFF statement read. “The film will make its North American premiere later this week, as scheduled.”
The statement came on the same day that the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) said it was “profoundly alarmed” over the decision by TVOntario to withdraw its support for the film. Raja Pictures and CAPA Presse (Films À Cinq) are the production companies.
On Tuesday, a large crowd of Ukrainian-Canadians held a protest outside a press and industry screening at Scotiabank, branding as propaganda embedded Russian Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova’s first-person account of Russian soldiers on the frontline.
The soldiers are seen questioning the official reasons why they are fighting. There have also been protests outside TIFF Lightbox.
Russians At War premiered in Venice and gets its North American premiere in Toronto on Friday at Scotiabank at 2.30pm local time, before it screens again to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
The TIFF statement noted, “This documentary is an official Canada-France co-production with funding from several Canadian agencies, at both the federal and provincial level. Our understanding is that it was made without the knowledge or participation of any Russian government agencies.
“In our view, in no way should this film be considered Russian propaganda. 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.
Meanwhile DOC condemned what it characterised as the “recent unilateral decision” by TVOntario’s board of directors to withdraw its support.
The organisation said Russians At War was made through a “multi-year collaborative effort involving the filmmakers and TVO’s Documentary team, adding that “TVO’s team has traditionally operated with editorial independence”.
The statement continued, “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.”
On Tuesday Chris Day, TVO board of directors chair, issued a statement saying: “We have listened to the Ukrainian-Canadian community and their thoughtful and heartfelt input. TVO’s board of directors 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.”
Full TIFF statement:
TIFF acknowledges and respects the concerns expressed and discussion taking place about the Canadian documentary Russians at War. The film will make its North American premiere later this week, as scheduled.
This documentary is an official Canada-France co-production with funding from several Canadian agencies, at both the federal and provincial level. Our understanding is that it was made without the knowledge or participation of any Russian government agencies. In our view, in no way should this film be considered Russian propaganda. 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.
In April, we issued a Programming Statement for Peace. Today, we would like to reaffirm this excerpt:
As a cultural institution, we stand for the right of artists and cultural workers to express fair political comment freely and oppose censorship. Because filmmakers, like all artists, work in dynamic engagement with their societies, we believe that our role as curators and presenters of film must stand for an unequivocal defense of artistic expression, and a commitment to provide safe, open spaces to engage, critique and reflect on artists’ work.
We understand and deeply feel the suffering of the Ukrainian people as the result of an illegal Russian invasion. As we engage with the art made at this politically charged time, we are guided by the democratic values of freedom of conscience, opinion, expression and peaceful assembly as protected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for all Canadians including Canadian artists.
Full Documentary Organization of Canada statement:
The Documentary Organization of Canada is profoundly alarmed by TVOntario’s Board of Directors’ recent unilateral decision to withdraw support for the documentary “Russians at War.”
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.
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.
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