International Insider: TIFF’s Russia Problem; UK Spend Shrivels; Gaiman Projects On Pause
deadline.comHello Insiders. It’s getting colder in Europe, but the news in TV and film has been hot and spicy in the week Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris.
Jesse Whittock here taking you. Let’s go, and don’t forget to sign up here. TIFF‘s Russia Doc Pulled War doc shelved: This year’s Toronto Film Festival had been surprisingly quiet until Thursday afternoon when the festival said it had paused upcoming screenings of Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova’s documentary Russians at War “effective immediately” after learning about “significant threats to festival operations and public safety.” The decision was made “in order to ensure the safety of all festival guests, staff, and volunteers,” TIFF said in a statement, adding, “This is an unprecedented move.” Russians at War provides a rare insight into life for Russian soldiers on the frontline in Ukraine.
Trofimova embedded herself under the radar with Russian troops after making the connection via a soldier she met on a train, as he returned home briefly from the front to visit his family.
Her aim, she said, was not to glorify the Russian troops, but rather to get to the bottom of what was happening on the frontline.
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