The Road Between Us finds its way back to TIFF after public uproar

The Road Between Us, also known as The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue, is a documentary film that chronicles the life of Naom Tibon, who is a retired general of the Israel Defense Forces. Here's the official synopsis as per Letterboxd,

Grandfather and retired Israeli general Noam Tibon rescues his family from Hamas terrorists invading their home during the October 7, 2023 massacre - a coordinated assault on Israel sparking an ongoing conflict.

The film, directed by Barry Avrich, was originally scheduled to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) but was subsequently pulled from the lineup. According to Deadline, after public uproar, it's back on the festival's slate.

TIFF to screen The Road Between Us after public backlash

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On Thursday, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) revealed that they have invited The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue to be screened in its lineup. This news comes two days after the festival removed it from its slate of screenings.

Right after the screening was cancelled, outfits like the Creative Community for Peace and the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation openly criticized TIFF. Cameron Bailey, the festival's CEO, as well as the film's director, Barry Avrich, put out an official statement:

“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."

The film follows the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked Israelis at the Gaza envelope. It focuses on Naom Tibon's attempt to save his family members, which ultimately led to the rescue of survivors from the music festival attack. The film features body cam footage of the attack. TIFF stated that they had to pull the film as they did not have legal clearance for the footage. They said,

"[It's] because general requirements for inclusion in the festival, and conditions that were requested when the film was initially invited, were not met, including legal clearance of all footage.”

They added,

"[The action was done to] protect TIFF from legal implications and to allow TIFF to manage and mitigate anticipated and known risks around the screening of a film about highly sensitive subject matter, including potential threat of significant disruption.”

Amid public uproar, the festival has finally decided to include The Road Between Us.