‘Russians at War’ Producers Threaten TVO With Legal Action For Pulling Film
Lawyers representing the producers of “Russians at war“They say they could take legal action against Ontario’s public broadcaster for withdrawing its support for the controversial documentary, amid outcry over the Ukrainian community and some Canadian politicians.
A letter addressed to TVO The board and management are demanding that the network immediately reinstate its commitment to air “Russians at War” or allow the filmmakers to license the film to another broadcaster or streaming platform.
The letter states that if the issue cannot be resolved within the next 10 business days, the film’s producers will have “no choice but to pursue all legal remedies,” including claims for breach of contract, defamation and damages related to any loss of funding for the project.
The film by Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova — which chronicles the experiences of Russian soldiers on the front lines of the war in Ukraine — sparked a strong reaction from Ukrainian officials and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, who called it “Russian propaganda.”
These concerns have also been echoed by some Canadian politicians, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freelandwho has Ukrainian origins.
The documentary was produced in partnership with TVO and funded in part by the broadcaster’s allocation of Canada Media Fund resources, but TVO’s board of directors cancelled plans to air it on the network, citing feedback it had received.
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The Canadian documentary filmmaker said last week that she was “deeply alarmed” by TVO’s decision to withdraw its support and that it “raises serious concerns about political interference.”
TVO board chairman Chris Day said the broadcaster would not comment publicly on legal matters.
In the letter sent to TVO on Thursday, lawyer Danny Webber of Hall Webber LP called the decision to halt the film’s broadcast a “gross violation of the filmmakers’ rights” that caused “reputational and financial harm” to the team behind the documentary.
“Russians at War” was scheduled to have its North American premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival, but The screenings had to be postponed until Tuesday due to threats of violence against TIFF staff and operations, organizers said.
Protesters gathered outside Tuesday’s screening, with activists calling on governments to withdraw funding from the festival.
—With additional files from Global News
© 2024 The Canadian Press
