I condemn TVO’s decision to help fund the film “Russians at War” using its funding allocation from the Canada Media Fund.
The film “Russians at War” whitewashes Russia’s crimes against the people of Ukraine by falsely portraying members of Russia’s military as victims and by absolving them of their responsibility for the invasion of Ukraine and the war crimes they have committed.
For years, the Russian military has committed genocide, rape, torture, murder and the mass systemic abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children - a crime for which the International Criminal Court has indicted Vladimir Putin.
The director of the film has previously made films for Russia Today (RT), a Russian state-controlled TV channel and propaganda outlet that is banned in Canada.
TVO receives an annual Canada Media Fund allocation, which includes some federal contributions, and it should live up to the expectations of Canadians in the content choices it makes.
I urge TVO to withdraw its support for the film “Russians at War.”
I urge the Canada Media Fund – a separate entity whose funding decisions are completely independent of the Government of Canada - to investigate how and why their funding was used to support this film.
I further urge the Toronto International Film Festival to cancel the screening of this film.
The victims of the atrocities perpetrated by Russia, and Canadians who have so generously provided and backed Canada’s strong support of the people of Ukraine, deserve no less.
The government of Canada has said that we will stand with the Ukrainian people until they win, that victory is the only option. Victory is the only option for Canada because Ukraine's victory is vital to Canada's security. If Russia wins it will not stop at Ukraine. If Russia wins Europe, the US and Canada will be next in defending ourselves against Russian aggression.
This is one of the reasons that Canada has been a global leader in supporting Ukraine, providing over $19.5 billion in military, financial, humanitarian and other support for the people of Ukraine. Canada has also invested significant resources to combat Russian propaganda and misinformation.
We will stand with the Ukrainian people until they win - until we all win.
