US Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) criticized the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)'s decision, since reversed, not to allow the screening of a film documenting the rescue actions of Maj. Gen. (res.) Noam Tibon during the October 7th massacre.
"The Toronto Film Festival is refusing to screen a documentary about 10/7 because of objections from Hamas, insisting that the terrorist group must approve the use of any footage exposing its crimes against humanity. Since when does a terrorist organization have veto power over the telling of history?" he wondered.
"Could you imagine a film festival rejecting a Holocaust documentary because of objections from Nazi Germany. The collapse of moral common sense is staggering," Torres stated.
The Toronto International Film Festival announced on Wednesday the removal of the film The Road Between Us - The Ultimate Rescue from this year's screening lineup.
Festival management justified the decision by saying the filmmakers did not provide evidence that they hold usage rights for footage filmed on GoPro cameras by Hamas operatives that day, and, according to the festival, without those clearances, the film could not be screened as part of the event.
It is estimated that the decision was made following pressure from anti-Israel organizations and fears of demonstrations and unrest during the festival.
On Thursday, after backlash from Canadian Jewish organizations, international media, and public officials such as Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, TIFF said it would reinstate the film.
In an official statement, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and filmmaker Avrich said, “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.”
“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,” they added.