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Toronto Film Festival resumes ‘Russians at War’ screening, ignoring widespread criticism

After announcing on Sept. 12 that screenings of the controversial documentary “Russians at War” would be paused due to “significant threats to festival operations and public safety,” the film is set to return to the Toronto International Film Festival’s lineup on Sept. 17. The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

Canadian-Russian director Anastasia Trofimova’s documentary has faced criticism for what many perceive as an attempt to whitewash the Russian soldiers involved in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale war, Canada has been a significant ally of Ukraine, providing the country with over$8 billion in military, financial, and humanitarian aid. Trofimova herself brushed off these concerns, saying in an interview with the Globe and Mail that when “the relatively liberal atmosphere in which we were working started to change” she left RT for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

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