TIFF stands by ‘Russians at War’ doc after TVO pulls support amid outcry

The festival defended its inclusion and screening of the documentary on free speech grounds, after documentary filmmakers expressed outrage over TVO's decision.

The Toronto International Film Festival says screenings of a controversial documentary depicting Russian soldiers in Ukraine will go ahead as planned, despite Ontario’s public broadcaster pulling its support amid outcry from the Ukrainian community.

A statement from the festival Wednesday defended the film, Russians at War, a day after a large protest was held outside its debut screening calling for its removal. Ukrainian and Canadian officials and protesters have also raised concerns that the film, which they call “Russian propaganda,” was financed in part through Canadian public funding.

“In our view, in no way should this film be considered Russian propaganda,” a statement from TIFF said.

“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 film’s Russian-Canadian director, Anastasia Trofimova, spent seven months embedded with a Russian army battalion in eastern Ukrainian territory occupied by Moscow’s forces to make the film, which she says was done without the Russian government’s knowledge. She and her financial backers have said the film shows the soldiers losing faith in the fight and seeks to humanize the ordinary men caught up in Russia’s invasion.

Ukrainian critics have argued the film attempts to whitewash Russia’s crimes in Ukraine and that Trofimova would not have been able to get such unfettered access to Russian troops without support from the Kremlin.

Festival organizers said Wednesday it’s their understanding that the documentary was made without the knowledge and participation of any Russian government agencies.

They further defended showing the film on free speech grounds, while adding they “understand and deeply feel the suffering of the Ukrainian people as the result of an illegal Russian invasion” and support their right to protest the decision.