The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) “recognizes and respects” concerns about the film Russians at War, which whitewashes the Russian occupiers fighting against Ukraine but will not cancel the premiere.
This is stated in a statement by TIFF.
They emphasize that the film, which they call a documentary and Canadian, is an official co-production of Canada and France with funding from several Canadian agencies at both the federal and provincial levels.
“We understand that this was done without the knowledge or participation of any Russian government agencies. In our opinion, this film cannot be considered Russian propaganda,” the film festival said.
It added that it stands for the right of artists and cultural workers to freely express “fair political commentary and oppose censorship.”
TIFF also expressed an understanding of the suffering of the Ukrainian people due to the Russian invasion.
