October 6, 2025

TIFF draws a documentary on the October 7 attack on security on security and rights problems

0
toronto-international-film-festival-tiff-2024.jpg


The Toronto International Film Festival has removed its range a documentary detailing a family’s experiences on the attack on October 7, 2023 by Hamas on rights and security problems, although the festival says it is still trying to solve these concerns with filmmakers.

In a statement sent by e-mail, the film team behind the documentary The road between us: the ultimate Rescue, admitted the cancellation and told CBC News that they were “shocked and saddened” by the decision of the festival.

“In the end, the film is an art form that stimulates the debate in all the perspectives that can both entertain us and make us uncomfortable. A film festival exhibits the party and the public decides what they will see or will not see,” said the press release.

“We are not political filmmakers, and we are not activists either; we are storytellers. We remain provocative, we will publish the film and we invite the public, the broadcasters and the streamers to decide, once they have seen it.”

In a statement on Wednesday evening, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said he was determined to work with filmmakers to “meet Tiff’s projection requirements” which would allow the film to the festival this fall.

The film, by Canadian director Barry Avrich, tells the story of Noam Tibon, a retired TDI general who is looking for to save his son and family during the attack which sparked the almost two year war between Israel and Hamas.

The story of Tibon has already been told in the media, including on 60 minutes of CBS. Her son, Amir Tibon, who is a journalist, also told the events from his own point of view in a book.

Look | He moved his family in a Kibbutz border – October 7 occurred:

He moved his family in a border kibbutz – October 7 occurred

A year after the attack on October 7, Israeli journalist Amir Tibon told Matt Galloway of the CBC what happened when activists led by Hamas attacked his Israeli border kibbutz and how his father, a retired TDI, ran in danger to save his family.

According to DeadlineWho was first reported the news, Tiff withdrew his invitation to the film to participate in the festival in part because certain inclusion requirements have not been met, including “the legal authorization of all images”.

“The aim of the conditions requested was to protect the TIFF against legal implications and to allow TIFF to manage and mitigate the anticipated and known risks around the screening of a film on a very sensitive subject, including a potential threat of significant disturbance,” the festival said in a press release to the Associated Press and on the deadline.

According to the deadline, the last deviation came on the legal authorization and the identification of the images of the attack which was filmed by Hamas.

Bailey de Tiff also rejected the allegations of censorship, saying that they were “unequivocal”, but apologized for all pain the withdrawal of The road between us cause.

“Given the sensitive and significant nature of the subject of the film, I believe that it tells an important story and contributes to the rich tapestry of perspectives in our range – stories that resonate here at home and in the world,” said Bailey in the press release.

“The events of October 7, 2023 and the suffering in progress in Gaza arises heavily on us, stressing the urgent need for compassion in the midst of anti -Semitism and Islamophobia.”

Groups condemn the decision

This decision addressed a number of organizations and civil servants.

Creative community for Peace, an organization of the entertainment industry that educates on anti -Semitism, called for the decision to shoot the film “deeply disturbing”.

“They choose to censor a Jewish story of survival and try to erase the experiences of the survivors of the worst attack on the Jews since the Holocaust”, the statement read in part. “This decision is part of an increasing tendency to silence the Jewish and Israeli voices under the excuse of” security problems “.”

The CEO of the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs, Noah Shack, also criticized the decision, which he considered as the festival leaning on the prospect of demonstrations.

A man in black suit stands behind a podium with the word "Tiff" on the front. The man smiles by speaking in the microphone on the podium and by delivering a speech
Barry Avrich speaks on stage during the 2019 Tiff Tribute Gala on September 9, 2019 in Toronto. Avrich is the director of the documentary The Road Between US: The Ultimate Rescue, which was withdrawn from the festival this year. (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)

“This shameful decision sends an unmistakable message: the Jewish community of Toronto, which has long played an essential role with Tiff, is no longer sure or welcome,” he said in a statement.

The Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa’ar also called the “vicious and disgusting” decision in a Publish. And Stan Cho, Minister of Ontario of Tourism, Culture and Games, said in a statement Published on social networks That he believed that freedom of expression was part of the arts “.

Tiff fired another documentary last year

The festival also attracted controversy last year to run – then to shoot – a documentary that followed Russian soldiers fighting in the war against Ukraine.

The film, called Russians at war By Russian Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova, attracted demonstrators who called the Russian Propaganda film. After the festival has interrupted projections due to “important threats”, the film was quietly screened towards the end of the festival.

The demonstrators are photographed outside the Tiff Lightbox Theater in Toronto during a screening of the Russian documentary film at war on September 17, 2024. The documentary played Tuesday at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The documentary stimulated the demonstrations of Ukrainian officials and community groups who say that the film is equivalent to propaganda.
People protest in front of the Tiff Lightbox Theater in Toronto during a projection of the Russian documentary at war on September 17, 2024. The film played at TIFF after the festival suspended projections earlier in the week due to security problems. The documentary stimulated the protests of Ukrainian officials and groups who said it is equivalent to propaganda. (Alex Lupul / CBC)

Russians at war Follows soldiers and doctors on the front line of the war, something The filmmaker says She did it without the permission of the government, which puts her at risk of criminal proceedings.

Sean Farnel, producer of the documentary who managed the distribution of the film at festivals, told CBC New The road between us I felt like “Total already seen”, given what his team went through last year.

He says that decisions like these become “endemic” in the world of the arts, and that it is increasingly difficult for documentary filmmakers to obtain funding to tell difficult or provocative stories.

“I think we must all come together and find a way to present such a work in a constructive way, in complete safety, because that’s what festivals do, that’s what filmmakers do,” said Farnel.

Listen to | The director of “Russian at war” speaks of criticism and reactions on a scale:

Front burnerThe director of “ Russians at war ” talks about criticism and the counterpouss

His team recently did Russians at war Available directly for the public via a website which, according to him, gives the context of the film. He says he feels lucky that filmmakers at least have the possibility of bypassing the usual distribution channels in this way to give people a chance to see their work in the event that festivals do not have or cannot present it.

Farnel says that before forging an opinion, people should see films “censored or self-censored” as Russians at war Or The road between us.

“Watch the film, have an open mind, challenge your own prejudices and perceptions, and communicate with each other.”


https://i.cbc.ca/1.7590038.1753113583!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_1180/toronto-international-film-festival-tiff-2024.jpg?im=Resize%3D620

About The Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *