Back in July, Barry Avrich’s latest documentary, “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,” about Israel’s October 7 attacks, was briefly pulled from the TIFF lineup before being reinstated after advocacy groups pushed back.
Here we are, a few months later, and while “Hamnet” took the festival’s top People’s Choice Award, ‘The Road Between Us’ actually won the People’s Choice Award for best documentary on Sunday, just days after pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrations clashed outside Roy Thomson Hall, the festival’s largest venue.
I’m guessing the win might have been fueled by a grassroots campaign that gained momentum after the film’s initial removal sparked. Its reinstatement galvanized supporters, and by the time it screened, the documentary had become a symbol of resistance. The major flaw in the TIFF voting system is that you can still cast your ballot without having actually seen the film.
‘Road Between Us’ follows retired Israeli general Noam Tibon as he races to rescue his family during the 2023 Hamas attacks, which left 1200 dead. It opens in theaters on October 3 via a self-release model, with Avrich partnering with Forston Consulting in the U.S. and Cineplex Pictures in Canada. I had heard whispers at TIFF that they would also be mounting an Oscar campaign for the doc.
Avrich is no stranger to TIFF—long regarded as the festival’s unofficial house documentarian for his portraits of Canadian cultural figures and institutions—but this time he’s delved into combustible territory. If it weren’t for the backlash, ‘Road Between Us’ might not have even screened at the festival.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey initially blamed “footage rights issues” for the removal, denying censorship, but the decision was reversed after criticism from groups including the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation and Creative Community for Peace. Bailey and Avrich later issued a joint statement confirming the screening.
The premiere took place at a sold-out Roy Thomson Hall on Wednesday, September 10, with Avrich, producer Mark Selby, and subjects Noam Tibon and Gali Mir-Tibon in attendance.