The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has rescheduled the North American premiere of the Canada-France documentary Russians at War for Tuesday (Sept. 17).

TIFF had initially planned to screen the documentary on Sept. 13, but issued a statement the day before the premiere (Sept. 12) that it was “forced to pause” due to “significant threats to festival operations and public safety.” At the time, TIFF said it was “committed to screening [Russians at War] when it is safe to do so.”

Russians at War has faced a wave of criticism and controversy due to its subject matter. The film follows Canadian-Russian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova as she documents a unit of Russian soldiers in the midst of the war in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress has criticized the film’s depiction of Russian soldiers and the use of Canadian public funds to support it, with Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Oleh Nikolenko, consul general of Ukraine in Toronto, among the political figures voicing similar concerns.

In a statement to Playback Daily, the film’s producers — Cornelia Principe for Canada’s Raja Pictures and Sally Blake and Philippe Levasseur for Paris-based prodco CAPA Presse — said they are grateful that TIFF “has stood by Russians at War and have kept to their word to screen our film in the face of much opposition.”

Following TIFF’s decision to pause the screenings, the producers said the “temporary suppression is shockingly unCanadian and called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to investigate the “affront, from within a sovereign government, to our democratic values and a free media.”

Russians at War was produced in association with Ontario pubcaster TVO, which has since pulled its support and cancelled plans to air it, following a decision from the board of directors.

At that time, the film’s producers issued a statement calling the decision a “bow to political pressure” by TVO’s board of directors that “sends a chill across the entire independent filmmaking community in Canada.”

The Documentary Organization of Canada also stated that it was “profoundly alarmed” by the decision, calling for a reversal due to the “dangerous precedent” set for independent media in Canada.

Jane Jankovic, the former executive producer of documentaries at TVO following her retirement, has since issued a statement on the TVO board decision.

“I commissioned this film for TVO when I was executive producer of documentaries. I was surprised the board of directors at TVO decided it will not broadcast the film,” she said. “This action is worrisome for the documentary industry. What has happened to Russians at War is a form of censorship. It creates a chill among documentary funders that will prevent important and controversial stories from being told. That is not our tradition in Canada. Documentaries are meant to create conversations, not shut them down. The film is not propaganda for the Russians. In fact, it shows the embarrassing fragility of the Russian war machine and the lack of conviction of its own soldiers.”

Photo by Anastasia Trofimova