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(September 12, 2024 – Toronto, ON) TIFF’s decision to pause its screenings of “Russians at War” due to extreme security concerns is heartbreaking for us as filmmakers and Canadian citizens. Our priority as producers, through this production, has been the safety and security of our courageous director, Anastasia Trofimova, despite her steadfast acceptance of these risks to make her documentary. We had assumed those risks would originate within Russia, not Canada.
This is not a win for Canadians, including Ukrainian Canadians. We condemn Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Ukraine Ambassador to Canada Yuliya Kovaliv, Consul General of Ukraine in Toronto Oleh Nikolenko, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Senators Donna Dasko and Stanley Kutcher, MP Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre), MPP Christine Hogarth (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) and other political and community “leaders.” Their irresponsible, dishonest, and inflammatory public statements have incited the violent hate that has led to TIFF’s painful decision to pause its presentation of “Russians at War”.
This temporary suppression is shockingly unCanadian. We call on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fully investigate this affront, from within a sovereign government, to our democratic values and a free media.
We are firmly committed to giving Canadians the opportunity to watch and reflect upon “Russians at War”. We believe reason and truth will prevail.
– The producers of “Russians at War”
Image courtesy of TIFF.
