TIFF reverses decision, will show Oct. 7 massacre film

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Turns out the censored film about the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel will be gracing Toronto International Film Festival screens after all.

TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and Barry Avrich, the filmmaker behind The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, issued a joint statement on Thursday night saying TIFF’s decision one day earlier to pull the screening has since been reversed.

“Over the past 24 hours, there has been much discussion about TIFF’s decision to withdraw its invitation to The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue for this year’s festival. Both TIFF and the filmmakers have heard the pain and frustration expressed by the public and we want to address this together,” the statement read. “We have worked together to find a resolution to satisfy important safety, legal, and programming concerns. We are pleased to share that The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue will be an official TIFF selection at the festival this year, where we believe it will contribute to the vital conversations that film is meant to inspire.”

This was no easy negotiation. There were people calling for resignations and the potential of public and private sponsorships being pulled after TIFF president Cameron Bailey made the call.

The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue tells the story of a Jewish grandfather trying to save his granddaughters during the attack that saw more than 1,200 people slaughtered and hundreds kidnapped.

The news of the pulling of acclaimed director Barry Avrich’s film went international including being placed on the front page of the New York Post and talked about on Fox News.

“In this case, TIFF’s communication around its requirements did not clearly articulate the concerns and roadblocks that arose and for that, we are sorry,” the statement from Bailey and Avrich said. “Both TIFF and the filmmakers have always been committed to presenting diverse perspectives and a belief in the power of storytelling to spark and encourage dialogue and understanding. We thank our audiences and community for their passion, honesty, and belief in the importance of film. We look forward to announcing more details including the World Premiere date on Aug. 20.”

Canada’s Jewish advocacy organizations condemned the initial decision to cancel to showing.

Richard Robertson, director of research and advocacy at B’nai Brith Canada, said Thursday’s reversal of the decision was welcome news.

“The reversal is a testament to what we can achieve when we unite to defend Canadian values. The Jewish community and its allies refused to remain silent in the face of censure and marginalization,” Robertson said. “The communal response was clear — such prejudice will not be tolerated in Canada. In this instance, the voice of reason, championed by grassroots advocates, ruled the day.

“It is now incumbent upon TIFF to explain the rationale behind its initial decision, which caused immense harm to Jewish Canadians. Transparency and candour will be essential in regaining the confidence and trust of its patrons. Moving forward, TIFF must learn from its mistakes and take meaningful steps to ensure that the festival remains a truly welcoming and inclusive space.”

But in a TIFF board meeting Thursday, things got heated.

In the end, said a source in the meeting, a “good outcome” was brokered with input from Avrich, Bailey and others.

“Heather Reisman and Henry Wolfond from the Jewish community really helped work with TIFF chair Jeffrey Remedios and John Ruffolo and former mayor John Tory to get this done,” a source said.

Some tough negotiations are said to have been employed.

“Wouldn’t have happened without all of them,” the source said.

“This whole thing was very hurtful and insulting. We are still going to protest at the TIFF office because this should never have happened and can’t be allowed to ever happen again,” Meir Weinstein of Israel Now said.

There are still many hard feelings about this — including from federal and provincial elected members.

The bottom line is there should be no censorship of directors’ works or rewriting of history. The point of the film festival is to create an atmosphere of education and debate.

Councillors Brad Bradford and James Pasternak had previously called on TIFF to reverse its “misguided decision” to cancel the screening.

“I’m relieved that TIFF has reversed its decision and will now screen this important film. This is the right call,” Bradford said. “But the fact it was ever pulled — silencing a Canadian filmmaker and granting legal legitimacy to a listed terrorist organization — is deeply troubling. It should not have taken a public outcry to correct this mistake.

Bradford said TIFF officials owe a public apology to the filmmaker.

“TIFF now needs to do some serious self-examination. The organization’s leadership needs to ensure that something like this is never repeated. And, equally, they need to account to the public for how this appalling decision happened in the first place — for the simple reason that TIFF receives millions of dollars from the taxpayer.”

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