Under government pressure and threats from far right, Toronto International Film Festival cancels screenings of Russians at War

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), one of the world’s premiere venues for the cinematic arts, has been forced to suspend screenings of Anastasia Trofimova’s documentary film Russians at War due to threats of violence encouraged by a government-promoted censorship campaign. As the imperialist powers sanction the use of long-range missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia, anything that deviates from portraying their enemy as savage beasts is taboo.

The campaign to suppress the film, which seeks to humanely portray Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine, was led by the far-right Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and received decisive support from the highest levels of the Trudeau government. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland declared September 10, in what amounted to a veiled threat to festival organizers, “It’s not right for Canadian public money to be supporting the screening and production of a film like this.” Both the festival and film have benefited from funding indirectly provided by the Canadian state. The film received $340,000 via TVO, Ontario’s provincial public broadcaster, which is funded in part by the federally supported Canadian Media Fund. TVO subsequently announced its withdrawal of support for the film.

Organizers got Freeland’s message, which was no doubt delivered more bluntly behind the scenes. Her declaration and those of other politicians encouraged far-right Ukrainian nationalists, aligned with the UCC, who have repeatedly used intimidation and threats of violence to disrupt and force the cancelation of anti-war events, to make what TIFF organizers described as “significant threats to festival operations and public safety.”

TIFF’s initial response to the campaign against Russians at War, including Freeland’s outburst, was to issue a statement defending their decision to show the film and for filmmakers to tackle controversial subjects. But on the afternoon of Thursday, September 12 they suspended all public screenings, which had been due to commence Friday evening, while insisting they intend to show the film when conditions permit.

Russians at War seeks to chronicle the real lives of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine and was shot in the field without the knowledge or permission of the Russian government. Trofimova, a Russian-Canadian documentary filmmaker and cinematographer, declares that she is an unequivocal opponent of the war.

The Guardian’s review of the film, which was first screened at the Venice Film Festival noted that

young soldiers are portrayed grappling with the purpose of their fight. Their motivations to join Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine vary from financial to a sense of camaraderie. “It’s so confusing here. I don’t even know what we’re fighting for,” says one soldier, a sentiment shared by others, who are largely portrayed in a sympathetic light.