TVO board pulls support for documentary Russians at War

UPDATED: The film has garnered widespread criticism from the Ukrainian community over its depiction of Russian soldiers.

The board of directors of TVO have pulled the Ontario pubcaster’s support for the Canada-France documentary Russians at War following criticism of the film’s depiction of Russian soldiers.

Chris Day, chair of TVO’s board of directors, issued a statement on Tuesday (Sept. 10) that TVO will no longer be supporting or airing the doc, directed by Russian-Canadian director-producer Anastasia Trofimova.

“We have listened to the Ukrainian-Canadian community and their thoughtful and heartfelt input,” said Day. “TVO will no longer be supporting or airing Russians at War. TVO will be reviewing the process by which this project was funded and our brand leveraged.”

The documentary follows Trofimova as she embeds herself for seven months in a group of Russian troops near the front line in Ukraine. The film is scheduled to make its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday (Sept. 13), following its world premiere in Venice earlier this month.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which represents Ukrainians living in Canada, has publicly criticized the film, alleging it is “Russian propaganda” on its website. The organization issued an open letter to TIFF’s CEO and chief programming officer, calling on the Festival to cancel the screening. The letter is also addressed to Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly; Yuliya Kovaliv, Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada; and Oleh Nikolenko, consulate general of Ukraine in Toronto.

TIFF issued a statement on Wednesday (Sept. 11) that it will proceed with the North American premiere as scheduled.

“This documentary is an official Canada-France coproduction with funding from several Canadian agencies, at both the federal and provincial level. Our understanding is that it was made without the knowledge or participation of any Russian government agencies. In our view, in no way should this film be considered Russian propaganda. While we understand the concerns expressed by many, we believe, like the Venice Film Festival and other international festivals who have programmed the film, that this Canadian documentary merits a place in our selection,” read the statement.

The producers of the film issued a statement that they are “shocked by the TVO board of directors’ sudden decision, made without consultation with the filmmakers, to withdraw their support of Russians at War,” while acknowledging the “pain and anger” from Ukrainian-Canadians.

“TVO has been a primary funder and collaborator in this Canada-France coproduction for over two years,” the statement read in part. “Documentaries provide a public service by offering insight into the realities of conflict, which can contribute to greater global understanding, informed debate and change.

“The Canadian government has consistently recognized the importance of transparency and public access to information, particularly in conflict zones, where understanding is critical for international discourse,” the statement continued. “TVO’s heat-of-the-moment decision contradicts these principles. This bow to political pressure, made by the TVO board of directors, not its management, sends a chill across the entire independent filmmaking community in Canada.”

Trofimova issued her own statement about criticism of the film, saying it is “an antiwar film made at great risk to all involved, myself especially.”

“I unequivocally believe that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is unjustified, illegal and acknowledge the validity of the International Criminal Court investigation of war crimes in Ukraine,” she said. “I also understand and sympathize with the pain and anger that the subject matter may provoke in those who have suffered from this conflict… My hope is that our film can be accessed and discussed based on its scope and not agendas and assumptions beyond its frame, and that ultimately such discussions lead to the war’s end.”

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has also criticized the use of public funds to support the documentary, naming the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Ontario Creates as supporters of the film.

Russians at War received funding from TVO through its Broadcaster Envelope Program under the CMF. A spokesperson for Ontario Creates told Playback Daily that while it is responsible for administering Ontario’s film and TV tax credit, it is considered confidential under the Taxation Act, and projects that meet the criteria for the tax credit are not evaluated based on their subject matter.

In a statement to Playback, a CMF spokesperson said TVO independently chose to use their envelope allocation for Russians at War.

“We rely on our trusted and CRTC-regulated broadcasters to ensure the project conforms to the programming standards endorsed by the CRTC,” read the statement. “We have been in communication with TIFF organizers and the producers of this documentary. We take these concerns very seriously and are actively engaged.”

The move from the TVO board also follows strong statements from Canadian deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland, who told reporters on Tuesday that she shared the concerns of Ukrainian diplomats and members of the Ukrainian-Canadian community regarding the film’s premiere at TIFF.

Freeland, who is of Ukrainian heritage, also called out the public funding for the film, telling reporters: “It’s not right for Canadian public money to be supporting the screening and production of a film like this.”

The Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC) issued a statement on Wednesday that it is “profoundly alarmed” by the TVO board’s decision, adding it “poses a serious threat to independent media in Canada” and “risks setting a dangerous precedent and must be immediately reversed.”

“TVO’s team has traditionally operated with editorial independence, fostering essential collaboration with independent filmmakers through established journalistic processes of review and discussion. The board’s decision undermines these fundamental processes and raises serious concerns about political interference, and must be confronted in order to preserve the integrity of our media institutions.”

Russians at War is produced by Canada’s Raja Pictures and Paris-based prodco CAPA Presse (Films à Cinq). Sally Blake and Philippe Levasseur produce for CAPA Presse, one of France’s largest doc and news reportage producers, and Cornelia Principe (also a producer behind the Canadian Oscar-nominated doc To Kill a Tiger) is a producer for Raja Pictures.

Updated on Sept. 11 with statements from TIFF and DOC

With files from Realscreen

Photo by Anastasia Trofimova