Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Friday welcomed the decision by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to reverse course and allow the screening of the film “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” about the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre.
“Justice has prevailed. I welcome the Toronto Film Festival’s reversal and its decision to allow the screening of the film ‘The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue’ about the Oct. 7th massacre. This correction comes after the festival’s miserable initial decision to prevent the screening of the film,” Sa’ar wrote in a post on X.
“The decision to allow the screening of the film is also a strong message to the deniers of the massacre and to antisemitic forces who are trying to erase the memory of the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli and foreign citizens,” he added.
“I thank all those who fought and worked for the screening of the film, including the Israeli Embassy in Ottawa, the Consulate in Toronto, the Jewish community in Canada, cultural figures and many others,” wrote Sa’ar.
“We will continue to work for the truth and to highlight the horrors of the Oct. 7th massacre. We will not forget. We will not allow it to be forgotten,” concluded the Foreign Minister.
The film chronicles the extraordinary actions of retired Israel Defense Forces General Noam Tibon. On October 7, Tibon risked his life to save his son and his son’s family, who were under siege by Hamas terrorists at their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
The initial cancellation of the film’s screening sparked outrage, with critics accusing TIFF of silencing a vital narrative. TIFF cited the lack of legal clearance for footage filmed by Hamas during the massacre as one of the reasons for its decision to cancel the screening of the documentary.
On Thursday, after backlash from Canadian Jewish organizations, international media and public officials such as 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.
“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.”
“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 August 20th,” concluded the statement.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)