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Editor's note: The article was updated with comments to reflect comments made by the Toronto Police Service in regards to the alleged security threats.
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will pause upcoming screenings of a controversial documentary about Russian soldiers entitled "Russians at War."
In a statement on Sept. 12, the festival claimed it had been "made aware of significant threats to festival operations and public safety" and said the "decision (to halt screenings) has been made in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers."
The film "Russians at War," directed by Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova, was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 10. It has been widely criticized for whitewashing Russian war crimes, obfuscating the source of its funding, denying that the Russian government had authorized its production, attempting to humanize Russian soldiers, and ignoring the context of the full-scale invasion.
As pushback and protests against the film mounted, TIFF claimed on Sept. 11 that the film is not "propaganda" and vowed to continue showing it.
The decision to pause screenings just a day later was an abrupt about-face that TIFF said was an "unprecedented move" and an "incredibly difficult decision."
"As a cultural institution, we support civil discourse about and through films, including differences of opinion, and we fully support peaceful assembly. However, we have received reports indicating potential activity in the coming days that pose significant risk; given the severity of these concerns, we cannot proceed as planned," TIFF's statement read.
The festival did not specify what security threats it was referring to.
In a statement to CBC News, the Toronto Police Service said that the decision to halt the screening was made independently by event organizers and was not under any recommendation by the police force.
Nonetheless, TIFF continued to defend the film, saying, "We believe this film has earned a place in our festival's lineup, and we are committed to screening it when it is safe to do so."
The previous day, Oleh Nikolenko, Ukraine's Consul General in Toronto, said he was "extremely disappointed" by TIFF's statement and called the decision to screen the film "appalling."
Nikolenko also cast doubt on the narrative that its director, Trofimova, has maintained regarding the Russian government's involvement.
"Given how Russia treats journalists, it is naive to believe that Anastasia Trofimova spent over six months embedded with a Russian military unit without Russian military or government oversight," he said in a statement.
"We believe the production of this film was permitted because it aligns with Russia's narratives that downplay the atrocities of its invasion."
Kate Tsurkan
