Zurich officially cancels the screening of the film Russians at War

The Zurich Film Festival has cancelled all screenings of the film Russians at War. All screenings were removed from the festival’s website, and viewers began receiving notices of ticket cancellations.

Information about the cancellation was posted on the festival’s official website.

In letters to attendees, the organizers explained that the public screenings were cancelled «for security reasons.»

• However, the film remains in the documentary competition, meaning it is still eligible for awards.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine responded to the cancellation.

«The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is grateful for the Zurich Film Festival’s decision to cancel public screenings of Russians at War. Russia should not be represented on the international cultural stage. Similarly, there should be no opportunity for its voices to whitewash war criminals before the general public», — the ministry stated.

The Ministry also called on the festival to remove the film from the competition.

«The only threat to the «safety of its viewers, guests, partners, and staff» is the influence of Russian propaganda, which justifies aggression and atrocities», — the Foreign Ministry concluded.

Russians at War

This is a Canadian-French film directed by a Russian filmmaker. The film depicts Russian soldiers who came to fight in Ukraine as «ordinary people.»

The film has sparked significant public outrage for promoting Russian propaganda and «whitewashing» the reputations of the occupiers.

Earlier, the Ukrainian State Film Agency condemned the inclusion of Russians at War in the Venice Film Festival’s program. In a statement, they labeled the film as «veiled Russian propaganda.»

«This film, which attempts to portray aggressors as victims, is a dangerous tool for manipulating public opinion and aims to shift responsibility for crimes committed by the Russian military to other parties», — the agency stated.

The Ukrainian State Film Agency emphasized that it finds «any form of victimization or justification of aggression and war crimes by a terrorist state to be absolutely unacceptable.»

They further added that such actions not only distort reality but also threaten the international legal order and contribute to the spread of disinformation.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has also cancelled the screening of Russians at War by the Russian director.

This was announced in a statement by the festival organizers.

«TIFF has been forced to suspend the upcoming screenings of Russians at War on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday», — the statement read.

However, the organizers did not abandon their overall plan to show the film. The reason for cancelling the upcoming screenings, which depict Russian occupiers as «ordinary people,» was due to «significant threats to the festival and public safety.»

«We have received reports indicating potential activity in the coming days that poses a serious risk; given the gravity of these concerns, we cannot proceed as planned», — the statement explained.

The organizers added that they select films based on their own values and hope to screen the film «when it is safe to do so.»

«When choosing films, we are guided by TIFF’s mission, values, and programming principles. We believe this film deserves a place in our festival lineup, and we will return to screening it when it is safe», — the TIFF organizers stated.