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

Yevheniya Kravchuk, deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and Information Policy, 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, Oleksandr Aliksiichuk, Mykola Kniazhytskyi, Mykyta Poturaiev, and Yaroslav Yurchyshyn.

"My colleagues and I addressed the Canadian parliamentarians and members of our Ukrainian-Canadian friendship group regarding 'Russians at War,' a propaganda 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.

"Colleagues 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 hope that the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine and Minister Mykola Tochytskyi would be active in this case.