Consul General Oleh Nikolenko: We strongly oppose the attempt to use the Toronto International Film Festival TIFF to whitewash the crimes of Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
The film Russians at War, directed by former Russia Today documentary filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova—who recently challenged Russian atrocities in Bucha in her statements in Venice—deliberately misrepresents the realities of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Portraying Russian soldiers as merely ‘pawns’ and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as ‘a nefarious game’ lends credence to Russian propaganda narratives that downplay the gravity and suffering caused by Russia’s military actions. Thousands of documented cases exist of Russian troops raping, torturing, murdering, and dehumanizing Ukrainians. Those who join the Russian invading army are offered large monetary compensation or a pardon from their criminal records, and they make this decision with full understanding of their actions in Ukraine.
Additionally, blaming the media for the behavior of the Russians who invaded Ukraine infantilizes the criminals and absolves them of moral and legal responsibility for their actions. The film Russians at War attempts to equate the aggressor and the victim by invoking the ‘human cost on both sides.’ Whatever ‘human cost’ Russia may bear—it is Russia’s fault.
Ms. Trofimova joining the Russian invading unit fighting in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory to shoot the film also grossly violates Ukrainian law. Since the filmmaker did not receive consent from the Ukrainian government to travel to Russian-occupied territory, her crossing of the internationally recognized Ukraine-Russia border was illegal. Given the highly restricted access and the significant time she spent on the front lines, it is naive to believe that the Russian military or government was not involved in facilitating her travel.
Furthermore, we find it highly relevant to echo UCC National – Ukrainian Canadian Congress demand for an explanation of why Canadian taxpayer money is being used to fund Russian propaganda, which Canada is otherwise investing enormous resources to combat.
Unfortunately, after weeks of intensive communication, the senior management of the festival has not demonstrated a willingness to address our concerns in a satisfactory manner.
We believe that showcasing the film Russians at War by Russian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova is unacceptable. It is irresponsible to allow the Toronto International Film Festival, one of the world’s most reputable film stages, to be used to disseminate Russian propaganda.
We call on the festival to cancel the screening of this film.