Russian Controversial War Film to be Screened in Toronto Despite 'Threats'

The controversial documentary "Russians at War" will be shown in Toronto on Tuesday, after the city's film festival organizers had halted screenings due to "significant threats" over their decision to feature the film.

Focusing on Moscow's invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of Russian soldiers, the film will have two screenings at the TIFF Lightbox cultural center in Toronto, the festival said.

The documentary has sparked outrage since it was first shown in Venice earlier this month, with some calling it a pro-Kremlin film that seeks to whitewash and justify Moscow's assault on its neighbor.

The Toronto International Film Festival, which ended on Sunday, announced last week it was pulling the film due to threats -- calling the decision an "unprecedented move."

Yulia Kovaliv, Ukraine's ambassador to Canada, on Monday condemned the festival for reinstating the screenings, saying its "persistence to serve as a platform to share Russian propaganda is beyond imaginable."

Canadian regional public broadcaster TVO, which had helped fund the documentary through the Canadian Media Fund, has pulled its support for the film and said it would not be airing it as planned in the coming months.

Russian-Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova has rejected the criticisms, telling AFP it was "an anti-war film" that showed "ordinary guys" who were fighting for Russia and treated as cannon fodder.

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If this information is confirmed, it would be the first time such a weapon had been used since Russia invaded in February 2022.

The soldiers depicted appear to have little idea of why they have been sent to the front, and are shown struggling to make Soviet-era weapons serviceable.