The controversial documentary “Russians at War” will finally be screened tomorrow in Canada, after the organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) suspended its presentation due to threats.
The film, which depicts the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of Russian soldiers, will have two screenings at Toronto’s TIFF Lightbox cultural centre, the festival announced on Monday.
The documentary has sparked outrage since it was first screened in Venice earlier this month. Some are calling it a pro-Kremlin film that is about “cover up and justify” Russia’s assault on its neighbouring country.
TIFF, which officially ended on Sunday, announced last week that it was pulling the film due to “considerable threats”in qualifying the decision of “unprecedented measure”.
Yulia Kovaliv, Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada, criticized the festival on Monday for restoring performances, saying that its “persistence in serving as a platform for sharing Russian propaganda is beyond imagination”.
Canadian regional public broadcaster TVO, which had helped fund the documentary through the Canadian Media Fund, has withdrawn its support for the film and said it will not air it as planned in the coming months.
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Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova has rejected the allegations, saying they are “an anti-war film” which shows “normal guys” who fight for Russia and are treated as cannon fodder.
The soldiers portrayed in the documentary appear to have little idea of why they have been sent to the front, and are shown struggling to operate Soviet-era weapons.
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2024-09-19 14:48:31