MONTREAL, QC (Tuesday, October 7) – StandWithUs Canada is outraged by the Toronto International Film Festival’s (TIFF) decision to censor The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, a Canadian-made documentary capturing the true story of courage and survival during Hamas’ October 7 massacre, the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust and what sparked the ongoing war.
TIFF claims the film could not be screened due to “copyright” concerns over Hamas-filmed footage and the potential for disruptive protests. Let us be clear: these clips were created by a terrorist organization as propaganda celebrating their mass murder of innocent people. They are not creative works deserving of intellectual property protections, but evidence of crimes against humanity. Suppressing such footage on flimsy “legal” grounds serves only to obscure the actions of terrorists and shield the perpetrators of their heinous acts from accountability.
What makes TIFF’s decision especially troubling is the clear double standard and political agenda that appear to be at play to frame the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in a way that limits accurate portrayal and excludes Israeli voices. As part of this same festival, a film called Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk, produced with Palestinian and Iranian backing and documenting life in Gaza during the war will be screened. It is right for audiences to see and acknowledge the suffering of Palestinians showcased in this film. But it is equally important for audiences to see a film documenting October 7, and to hear the true account of Hamas’ actions which are directly tied to the suffering of Palestinians. Instead, this choice seems to reinforce the use of Palestinian suffering solely as a means to demonize Israel.
By bowing to pressure and removing The Road Between Us from its program, TIFF has allowed threats of disruption to dictate its choices and has stifled the expression of artists from all backgrounds. This erases the voices of victims and survivors of the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, while enabling those who wish to deny or minimize the atrocities committed by Hamas.
StandWithUs Canada will continue to stand with survivors of October 7, demand accountability for terrorism, and challenge double standards that distort public discourse. The truth about October 7 will not be erased, and the memory of its victims will not be silenced.
