Ukraine calls on Canada to ban screening of ‘Russians at War’ at Toronto film festival

Yevhena Kravchuk, deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Information Picy, announced this on Facebook and published photos of the relevant appeal, Ukrinform reports.

The appeal was signed by 21 lawmakers, including Kravchuk, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Oksana Savchuk, eksandr Aliksiichuk, Myka Kniazhytskyi, Mykyta Poturaiev, and Yaroslav Yurchyshyn.

"My cleagues and I addressed the Canadian parliamentarians and members of our Ukrainian-Canadian friendship group regarding 'Russians at War,' a praganda film created by Russian-Canadian director Trofimova," Kravchuk said.

According to her, "this case has become a vivid example of how Russia uses soft power to promote its narratives about a 'deeper understanding of war.' And unfortunately, it does it quite successfully."

Kravchuk recalled that the film had already been shown at the Venice Film Festival and it is planned to be shown at the International Film Festival in Toronto. In addition, the film received $340,000 from the Canada Media Fund, which is financed by the Government of Canada.

"Cleagues were urged to intensify their work and use all parliamentary means to prevent the film from being shown at the Toronto film festival," she said.

Kravchuk also expressed he that the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine and Minister Myka Tochytskyi would be active in this case.