Courtesy of JNS. Photo credit: Raysonho via Wikimedia Commons
TIFF Lightbox is the headquarters for the Toronto International Film Festival
(JNS) — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Friday welcomed the decision by the Toronto International Film Festival to allow the screening of the film “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” about the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
“Justice has prevailed,” Sa’ar declared in a post on social media. “This correction comes after the festival’s miserable initial decision to prevent the screening of the film. 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.”
Sa’ar 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. 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.”
After removing the documentary from its lineup earlier this week, the Toronto International Film Festival backtracked on Thursday after blowback over its initial decision, denying that it had censored the film.
“I want to be clear: Claims that the film was rejected due to censorship are unequivocally false,” TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey said in a post to social media. “I remain committed to working with the filmmaker to meet TIFF’s screening requirements to allow the film to be screened at this year’s festival. I have asked our legal team to work with the filmmaker on considering all options available.”
