Toronto film festival to screen Russians at War film amidst propaganda claims

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will proceed with screenings of Russians at War, a documentary about Russian soldiers in Ukraine, after initially pausing the showings due to security concerns. 

This film first appeared at the Venice Film Festival and sparked outrage among the Ukrainian community and officials who claimed it to be “pure propaganda” rather than art, which downplays Russia’s war crimes and manipulates sympathy for the aggressors.

The film will be screened on 17 September at the TIFF Lightbox, according to the TIFF schedule.

The decision comes after TIFF suspended screenings last Thursday, citing “significant threats to festival operations and public safety.” The festival described this move as “unprecedented.” According to CBC, the Toronto Police Service clarified that TIFF made the decision independently and not based on its recommendations.

Protests in Canada, organized by Ukrainian groups and officials like Consul General Oleh Nikolenko, criticized the film for attempting to “humanize” Russia’s military. Pamphlets condemning the film were handed out, though some were banned inside. 

Russian Canadian filmmaker and former employee of Russian propagandist channel RT, Anastasia Trofimova, defended her work, stating that she aimed to provide insight into a perspective rarely heard in Canada, according to CBC.

“I had the chance to lift the veil a little bit on the reality of one of the sides that no one, especially Canadians, has heard from for the last two-and-a-half years,” she said.

TIFF described the film on their website as a “gripping first-person documentary that takes us beyond the headlines to join Russian soldiers in Ukraine placing themselves in a battle for reasons that become only more obscure with each gruelling day.”

Russians at War has received financial support from Canadian public funds, including $340,000 from the Canada Media Fund in association with TVOntario. However, TVO’s board of directors has since withdrawn their support and canceled plans to air the documentary.

Film by Canadian taxpayer money echoes Russian narratives

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) called for an investigation into the $340,000 Canadian taxpayer funding of the film Russians at War, which it claims promotes Russian propaganda. The UCC argues that Trofimova’s access to Russian-occupied territories likely required Russian government approval, raising legal and ethical concerns. 

The UCC, Ukraine’s Consulate General in Toronto, and 21 Ukrainian Members of Parliament urged TIFF to cancel the screening.

In her critique of “Russians at War,” Ukrainian producer Daria Bassel, who saw the film, argued that the film downplays Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine and echoes pro-Kremlin narratives, such as labeling the war a “civil war” and depicting Russian soldiers as powerless victims. Bassel highlights it served as a tool of misinformation rather than an honest anti-war piece. 

Related:

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