Lawyers representing producers of Russians at War say they may take legal action against Ontario’s public broadcaster for withdrawing its support for the controversial documentary, following an outcry from the Ukrainian community and some Canadian politicians.
A letter to TVO’s board and management demands that the network immediately restore its commitment to broadcast Russians at War or allow 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 associated with 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, has sparked a strong reaction from Ukrainian officials and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, who have called it “Russian propaganda.”
The documentary was produced in partnership with TVO and funded in part by the broadcaster’s allocation of resources from the Canadian Media Fund, but TVO’s board of directors cancelled plans to air it on the network, citing feedback it had received.
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 pull the plug on the film a “clear violation of the filmmakers’ rights” that caused “reputational and financial harm” to the team behind the documentary.
The North American premiere of the film Russians at War was scheduled to take place during the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), but screenings had to be postponed until Tuesday due to threats of violence against TIFF staff and operations, organizers said.