TIFF reverses course, will screen Oct. 7 documentary after backlash
A day after pulling a documentary about the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, the Toronto International Film Festival has reversed its decision following mounting public pressure.
A day after pulling a documentary about the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, the Toronto International Film Festival has reversed its decision following mounting public pressure, political condemnation and behind-the-scenes negotiations.
A board member of the film festival, John Ruffolo, confirmed Thursday that The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, directed by Canadian filmmaker Barry Avrich, “will be exhibited as planned and even bigger than originally.”
The reversal followed a tense 24 hours in which the festival faced calls for resignations and warnings that sponsorships could be withdrawn.
The documentary recounts retired Israeli Major General Noam Tibon’s effort to rescue his son, journalist Amir Tibon, and his family from Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault that left more than a quarter of the community’s 400 residents dead or kidnapped.
It incorporates footage from GoPros worn by Hamas’ operatives during the attack.
On Wednesday, TIFF cited copyright clearance and security concerns in rescinding its invitation, prompting accusations of censorship from the filmmakers and condemnation from Jewish advocacy organizations.
TIFF rejected claims of censorship in a letter issued Wednesday.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said the move “sends an unequivocal message: Toronto’s Jewish community is no longer safe or welcome.”
Reports indicated TIFF sought changes to the film’s title, a letter of indemnification assuming legal liability, enhanced security measures, and a pre-screening. Line producer Talia Harris Ram told Israel’s Channel 12 there was “no legal problem” with the footage, calling the copyright rationale “a bit of a joke.”
By Thursday, however, sources said an agreement was reached with input from Avrich, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey, and community figures including Heather Reisman, Henry Wolfond, former Toronto mayor John Tory, and TIFF chair Jeffrey Remedios.
“This whole thing was very hurtful and insulting,” said Meir Weinstein of Israel Now, adding that a planned protest outside TIFF headquarters would still go ahead. “This should never have happened and can’t be allowed to ever happen again.”
Toronto councillors Brad Bradford and James Pasternak had urged TIFF to reverse what they called a “misguided decision.”
Bradford welcomed the reversal but said the initial cancellation “silenced a Canadian filmmaker and granted legal legitimacy to a listed terrorist organization.”
“It should not have taken a public outcry to correct this mistake,” Bradford said, adding that TIFF officials owe a public apology and “need to ensure that something like this is never repeated.”
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The TIFF has revealed their true political partisan pro-Hamas and left wing extremist colors. Its too late for this organization to ever recover or repair what may have once been an image of non-partisanship within their organization. They have shown their true colors and they are marxist, pro-Hamas.....
Why not a bit more politico-cultural arson to divide our society even further? Especially as the other kind of arson, the kind caused by the net-zero and climate change terrorist psychopaths was evidently switched off on Tuesday.
I had been following the Canada Environment and Climate Change [sic] Ministry "Wildfire smoke maps (they move!) assiduously, for months, as I prefer to breathe air and not "particulate matter."
Suddenly, Lo and Behold! Yesterday, all the fires and all the smoke were ... well... gone!
And my lying eyes and nose confirmed the fact.
Another Climate Change miracle by, and for, Guilbeault and the lads I guess.
What happened?
I guess that, as with "What Happened in Nova Scotia," we are never going to find out.