Dismissing the film as pro-Russian propaganda, local Ukrainian-Canadian groups are urging the Windsor International Film Festival to cancel this weekend’s screenings of the controversial documentary Russians at War.
“We have Ukrainians in Windsor-Essex from Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Bucha that lived through these atrocities,” said Carol Guimond, acting president of the Windsor-Essex branch of the Canadian Ukrainian Congress. The organization is among several organizing protests against the local film debut.
“This impacts them as actual Ukrainians. We have people here who have lost loved ones fighting, and people who have lost everything,” Guimond told the Star.
“They’ve lost their home, they’ve lost their education, they’ve lost their way of life. The majority of them probably will not go back.
“It’s such a kick in the teeth to them. And we’re supposed to feel sorry for the Russian soldiers?”
The documentary follows a Russian army battalion during its campaign across eastern Ukraine in 2023, capturing soldiers’ first-hand experiences on the front lines.
Just narrowly avoiding being pulled from its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September due to safety threats, the film was dropped from festivals in Athens and Zurich earlier this month.
Despite the controversy surrounding the documentary, Toronto-based producer Cornelia Principe told the Star that the project was intended to be an anti-war film.
No justification for this war
Canadian-Russian director Anastasia Trofimova spent nearly seven months unofficially embedded with Russian soldiers. But she initially set out to also capture the anti-war protests erupting in Russia, which the authoritarian regime was actively suppressing, following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Principe said it became clear during the editing process, however, that the two narratives did not work together.
“I totally understand the emotional aspect of this,” said Principe.
“Perhaps it’s too painful for them to watch. Their country is being destroyed. Their people are dying. Their men are dying. There’s many refugees here that have fled the war.
“There is no justification for this war.”
Principe said the goal was to humanize Russian soldiers on the front lines in an attempt to reach more who felt similarly disillusioned by the conflict.
“Nowhere in the film does it promote the war,” she said. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Most of the soldiers don’t want to be there. They don’t want to be killing. They don’t want to die.”
However, portraying Russian soldiers in a humanizing light is what makes the film appear overly sympathetic to Russia, said Andriana Pitre, chair of the group Windsor-Essex Supporting Ukrainian Newcomers (WESUN).
“It didn’t even attempt to show the side of Ukrainians,” said Pitre, who refuses to watch the documentary in full.
“It seems more of a pity party for Russian soldiers on the front lines. There’s always two sides to war, and this was strictly from the side of the Russians. They were the ones who invaded Ukraine. Ukraine has every right to defend itself.”
The film has also come under fire for receiving public funding, including $340,000 from the Canada Media Fund.
Since learning Russians at War would be included in the Windsor film festival’s 2024 lineup, local Ukrainian-Canadian groups repeatedly urged festival organizers to drop the film.
Guimond said the group received one emailed response from WIFF executive director and chief programmer Vincent Georgie, confirming that both showings would go ahead as planned.
In an emailed statement to the Star on Wednesday, a spokesperson for WIFF wrote “we are proud to be screening quality, challenging films that our discerning audience can choose to engage with, criticize, and ultimately reflect upon what the filmmakers are saying. That choice is entirely in the hands of our audience.
“We hope that all films at WIFF generate meaningful, critical and intelligent discussion in an environment that is safe, respectful and civil. WIFF’s founder has guided us with a single quote since our inception — ‘The end of the film is the beginning of the conversation’.”
During the lead-up to WIFF’s opening weekend, the group held two demonstrations: one at the Ukrainian National Federation on Ottawa Street and another at the Capitol Theatre on Oct. 20, during the Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s performance celebrating WIFF’S 20th anniversary.
Each protest drew around 50 supporters, according to Guimond.
“At this point, it doesn’t look as though we are stopping WIFF from showing it,” Guimond said. At the very least, she hopes the group can still discourage audiences from attending the screenings.
Russians at War is scheduled to play twice this opening weekend — on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Chrysler Theatre and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Armouries building. The Saturday screening was rescheduled earlier this week from its original 5:30 p.m. start time.
Guimond said protests are planned outside both screenings.
Celebrating its 20th year, WIFF runs in downtown Windsor from Oct. 24 until Nov. 3 and is offering 213 feature films and 20 local shorts.