The Toronto International Film Festival announced Thursday that it had to suspend upcoming screenings of the controversial documentary Russians At War due to “significant threats to festival operations and public safety.” The decision came after growing backlash from the Ukrainian community and government officials in both Ukraine and Canada. A large protest took place outside the debut screening on Tuesday, with another planned for Friday. The Ukrainian-Canadian community leaders organized the protests, calling the film “Russian propaganda” and demanding government and criminal investigations, as well as the cancellation of the screenings by TIFF.
Despite standing by the film initially, the festival ultimately decided to pause the scheduled screenings for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They expressed their commitment to showing the film at a later date when it is safe to do so. The decision to suspend the screenings did not come from a recommendation by the Toronto Police, as they were not aware of any active threats.
The film’s director, Anastasia Trofimova, spent seven months with a Russian army battalion to create the film, aiming to showcase the soldiers losing faith in the fight and humanize the ordinary men involved in Russia’s invasion. However, critics have denounced attempts to portray the Russians sympathetically, accusing the filmmakers of “whitewashing” the Russian army’s crimes in Ukraine.
Various Canadian officials and organizations have spoken out against the film, calling for its removal and condemning those who supported it. Despite criticisms, the film producers believe in the value of their work and expressed disappointment in TIFF’s decision to suspend the screenings.
Ukrainian officials welcomed the decision to suspend the screenings but raised concerns about the damage already caused by the film. They emphasized the need to combat propaganda and hold accountable those involved in projects that undermine democracy.
Finally, the Canadian Heritage and the Canada Media Fund are investigating the matter concerning public funding and government grants used in the film’s production. Trofimova’s involvement with Russian state media in the past has raised questions about the film’s authenticity and purpose. Ukraine has also raised legal concerns about the filmmaker’s activities on Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces.
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