The Toronto Film Festival has officially selected the documentary ‘The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue’ by Barry Avrich, amidst significant public outcry following its initial withdrawal from the lineup.
TIFF Officially Selects Documentary ‘The Road Between Us’
EXCLUSIVE: The Toronto Film Festival announced on Thursday that it will include Barry Avrich’s documentary The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue in its 50th edition, just two days after initially rescinding its invitation for the film to be part of this year’s Documentary lineup.
Controversy Surrounding the Film
Following TIFF’s decision to uninvite the documentary about retired Israel Defense Forces General Naom Tibon, several organizations, including the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation and the Creative Community for Peace, expressed their disappointment over the festival’s refusal to screen the film.
Joint Statement from TIFF and Filmmakers
“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 this year, contributing to vital conversations that film is meant to inspire,” stated TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey and Avrich.
Synopsis of the Documentary
The Road Between Us chronicles Tibon’s mission to rescue his family, including his two granddaughters, who were surrounded by Hamas terrorists during the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Tibon also aided survivors of the music festival massacre and assisted wounded soldiers during his efforts to save his family.
TIFF’s Withdrawal Explained
The festival, which initially planned to include the film in its Documentary lineup, stated that it withdrew its invitation on Monday due to unmet general requirements for inclusion, including legal clearance of all footage, which featured clips recorded by body cameras worn by Hamas attackers.
TIFF emphasized that these requests were made to “protect TIFF from legal implications and to manage anticipated risks surrounding the screening of a film about highly sensitive subject matter.”
Filmmakers’ Response
The filmmakers expressed their shock and sadness over what they described as censorship, asserting that they are not political filmmakers but storytellers.
Community Reaction
The decision sparked strong reactions from various groups, urging TIFF to reverse what the filmmakers termed as censorship.
See More ...
Clarification from TIFF
On Wednesday, Bailey addressed the community, stating, “I want to be clear: claims that the film was rejected due to censorship are unequivocally false. I remain committed to working with the filmmaker to meet TIFF’s screening requirements.”
Final Thoughts
Dear Members of the TIFF Community,
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. Both TIFF and the filmmakers have heard the pain and frustration expressed by the public and we want to address this together.
We are committed to presenting diverse perspectives and believe in the power of storytelling to spark dialogue and understanding. We look forward to announcing more details, including the World Premiere date on August 20th.
— Cameron Bailey, CEO, TIFF & Barry Avrich, Filmmaker
