Our Statement
The Toronto International Film Festival’s decision to pull The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue from this year’s festival is deeply disturbing.
They are choosing to censor a Jewish story of survival and attempting to erase the experiences of survivors of the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
This decision is part of a growing trend of silencing Jewish and Israeli voices under the excuse of “security concerns.”
Rather than standing up to violent intimidation and protecting filmmakers, TIFF is rewarding those who threaten their lives.
TIFF’s claim that the issue is “clearance” for Hamas-filmed footage is absurd. Does anyone believe Hamas would authorize use of evidence of its own war crimes? This is a pretext to bow to threats, protecting those who make them rather than those targeted by them.
By silencing this film, TIFF abandons artistic freedom and sends the chilling message that some victims’ stories matter more than others.
We call on TIFF to reverse its decision and stand for the principles it claims to uphold: artistic freedom, courage, and the right for every story to be told.
TORONTO, ONTARIO – SEPTEMBER 11: The TIFF logo is seen at the TIFF Bell Lightbox is seen at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)