By Ahmad Hathout
A Conservative member of Parliament is expected to carry a petition, opened for signatures Tuesday, that asks the federal government to recover all taxpayer money that went into the production of the documentary “Russians at War.”
The petition, sponsored by Manitoba MP James Bezan and opening to 331 signatures so far, additionally asks that the government request that Canadian law enforcement agencies, including the RCMP and CSIS, investigate “potentially violations of Canadian, Ukrainian, or international law” by the lead filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova, who is Russian-Canadian; to work with the RCMP to “seize all materials collected and filmed as part of this production and examine them for potential evidence of Russian war crimes,” and to audit all government programs and funding to “identify any projects that may directly or indirectly benefit Russia and its propaganda apparatus.”
The petition alleges the documentary, which was funded by the federal government through the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and broadcaster TVO, is attempting to “whitewash Russian war crimes” and points to Trofimova’s past employment at state-owned media outlet Russia Today, which was banned by the CRTC from Canadian airwaves in 2022.
E-petitions need at least 500 valid signatures and sponsorship from an MP to get a government response within 45 days of its tabling.
The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, was developed through a multi-year effort involving TVO’s documentary team and B.C.’s Knowledge Network. It received $340,000 from the CMF and money from the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund and Rogers Documentary Fund.
It has since been marred by controversy. TVO’s board of directors pulled support for the documentary, which has been accused of pushing alleged Russian propaganda about Ukrainian Naziism.
The Documentary Organization of Canada said last week that it was alarmed by the TVO board’s decision. DOC said TVO’s team has traditionally operated with editorial independence and the board decision “undermines these fundamental processes and raises serious concerns about political interference, and must be confronted in order to preserve the integrity of our media institutions.
“Independent media is the cornerstone of democracy, essential for ensuring accountability and informed public discourse. Documentaries bring critical in-depth perspectives that allow for nuance, context and reflection,” the DOC statement reads. “Protecting the documentary creator’s ability to explore controversial subjects is vital for a healthy society. This action by the Board of a public broadcaster to censor content poses a serious threat to independent media in Canada. TVO’s decision risks setting a dangerous precedent and must be immediately reversed.”
The film has had some other speed bumps to get over. It had screenings scheduled at the Toronto International Film Festival, which were paused for security concerns after the festival received threats. The festival then resumed the screenings.
Working alongside award-winning editor Roland Schlimme, Trofimova’s first-person doc sees her join Russian soldiers in Ukraine as they advance toward the front lines, following a chance encounter with a middle-aged man on a train about to leave his family and go to war. It largely explores a theme of many Russian soldiers beginning to doubt their purpose as each day passes.
