The organizers of Canada’s largest film festival have pulled from the event’s lineup an Israeli documentary about the Oct. 7 attacks that included footage of atrocities live streamed by Hamas fighters.
The makers of the film, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” this week accused The Toronto International Film Festival of censorship, an assertion that the festival organizers denied. Instead, festival organizers said the filmmakers had failed to secure rights to the video.
Talia Harris Ram, one of the film’s producers, said the filmmakers were notified that the documentary, about a retired general who rescued his family from an attack on their home, would be withdrawn because it did not have the proper “clearance to use archival footage,” or in other words, she said, the “footage filmed by Hamas.”
“As someone who has dedicated her life to handling rights and intellectual property, this is the most absurd, horrific, disconnected claim I have encountered so far,” she said in a statement.
Clips of the Oct. 7 attack that were recorded by Hamas fighters are included in the documentary, which was poised to screen during the 50th anniversary of the film festival, which runs from Sept. 4 to Sept. 14.
Possible legal issues could arise from the screening of that footage, the festival said in a statement. The organizers also suggested that the film’s removal from the lineup was intended to prevent disruptions.
Barry Avrich, a Canadian filmmaker and a past board member at the festival, and his production team said in statements to the news media that the festival “defied its mission and censored its own programming by refusing this film.”
But the festival’s chief executive, Cameron Bailey, pushed back against that claim and said it was “unequivocally false” to suggest that the film was being censored, noting that he had personally invited the filmmakers to participate.
“Given the sensitive and significant nature of the film’s subject, I believe that it tells an important story and contributes to the rich tapestry of perspectives in our lineup,” Mr. Bailey said, adding that he has directed the festival’s legal team to help the filmmaker to review options and help them make the film compliant.
Last year, the festival faced a backlash for screening a documentary about Russian solders in Ukraine. The film was condemned by many in the Ukrainian community and criticized for being Kremlin propaganda. The festival pulled the film.
Vjosa Isai is a reporter and researcher for The Times based in Toronto, where she covers news from across Canada.
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