While respecting diversity and fair representation in international cinema, we ask you to suspend this and any further screenings of the film. The Russians at War intentionally distorts the reality of the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine, thereby misleading viewers and promoting narratives of Russian propaganda. 

The documentary completely ignores the atrocities committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, who are portrayed as ‘little people’ who do not decide anything. This portrayal is an attempt to whitewash them and absolve them of responsibility for murder, rape, torture, looting, forced deportation of children, and destruction of Ukrainian cities. 

At the press conference in Venice, the filmmaker claimed she had not witnessed any war crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukraine. However, she fails to acknowledge the overwhelming body of evidence documenting numerous war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine since the onset of the full-scale invasion. According to official data of the General Prosecutor Office of Ukraine, Russia committed more than 140,518 war crimes, while the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine stated that the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has resulted in thousands of casualties, damage, destruction, unbearable suffering, and hardships for the civilian population. It is this glaring omission and lack of critical reflection on the actions of Russian ‘heroes’ that shifts the film from the realm of documentary into propaganda. 

Having visited the Russia-occupied territory of Ukraine to shoot the film, Trofimova violated Ukrainian legislation. She admitted in an interview to Globe and Mail that she did not seek permission from Ukrainian authorities to enter Ukraine’s territory during the filming. Given the highly restricted access, it is hard to believe that the Russian military or government did not facilitate her travel to the front line. This undermines the documentary’s credibility and raises serious questions about its intent. Any screening of this film therefore makes festivals complicit in this illegal action. 

It is the ethical and professional responsibility of international film festivals to ensure that the stories they tell and the platforms they provide reflect truth, integrity, and accountability. Festivals and filmmakers alike owe this to their audiences and to those who are fighting for their survival against aggression. By endorsing works that misrepresent or obscure facts, they risk betraying that responsibility. 

With respect for the high standards and the reputation of the Toronto International Film Festival, we ask you to remove the film from the programme and suspend cooperation with those who compromise the integrity of documentary filmmaking.