Skip to content
Edit post

Ukrainian-Canadian filmmakers pull out from film festival in protest after being featured alongside 'Russians at War'

by Dmytro Basmat October 27, 2024 3:19 AM 2 min read
Director Anastasia Trofimova attends the "Russians At War" photocall during the 81st Venice International Film Festival at Palazzo del Casino in Venice, Italyon Sep.5, 2024. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukrainian-Canadian filmmakers pulled their pro-Ukrainian film "Intercepted" from screening at the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF) in protest after learning that it would be featured in a lineup alongside the controversial "Russians at War" documentary, the Canadian media outlet Windsor Star reported on Oct. 26.

Canadian-Russian director Anastasia Trofimova's documentary Russians at War has faced criticism for what many perceive as an attempt to whitewash Russian soldiers involved in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Earlier in her career, Trofimova worked for Russia Today, a Kremlin-backed propaganda outlet.

The documentary has been criticized for lacking a concrete counter-narrative to Russian propaganda, failing to address documented Russian war crimes, and does not offer a definitive critique of Putin's regime.

The movie was brought into the spotlight when it appeared on the official list of screenings at the prestigious Venice and Toronto film festivals.

According to the Windsor Star, Intercepted — a film that chronicles the work of Ukrainian intelligence agencies as it intercepts calls from Russian soldiers to family and friends — pulled out of the Canadian-based WIFF ahead of its opening night screening.

The decision to pull out comes amid widespread protest among Canada's large Ukrainian-Canadian diaspora.

Following protest, organizers at the Toronto International Film Festival decided to pull the film from the schedule, citing security concerns, but later decided to hold a special screening for the film after the end of the festival in September, drawing widespread criticism.

Controversy further spread as it was revealed the Russians at War film received 340,000 Canadian dollars from the Canada Media Fund. Canadian government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, have strongly criticized the use of public funds to support a controversial documentary that portrays Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

On Sept. 10, the public broadcaster TVO — funded by the Ontario provincial government —announced that it will not be airing the controversial documentary.

The decision to not air the film by the Ontario-funded public broadcaster falls in stark contrast with the provincial government's decision on Oct. 25 to provide 375,000 Canadian dollars in funding to WIFF.

Despite protest from local members of the Ukrainian-Canadian diaspora, WIFF has not removed Russians at War from the festival's lineup — at odds with decisions made earlier this month at film festivals in Athens and Zurich to drop the film.

The director of Intercepted, Oksana Karpovych, could not be immediately reached by the Windsor Star for comment.

On Oct. 7, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) began investigating Trofimova on the charges of justifying and recognizing the legitimacy of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and illegally crossing Ukraine's internationally recognized borders when filming in the Russian-occupied territories.

Is ‘Russians at War’ propaganda? We asked 7 people in film who saw it
The documentary “Russians at War” has sparked controversy since its debut on the festival circuit, with many accusing it of whitewashing Russian soldiers and their crimes in Ukraine. Canadian-Russian director Anastasia Trofimova has defended the film, calling it “anti-war.” After facing backlash,…



News Feed

10:04 AM

German Foreign Minister Baerbock arrives in Kyiv.

"We are countering this brutality with our humanity and support, so that Ukrainians can not only survive the winter, but so that their country can survive," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said upon arrival.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.