The position of the Budapest International Documentary Festival (BIDF), which will be held for the 11th time in 2025, regarding the Canadian-French co-production "Russians at War", which was selected for the festival's programme.

In response to the circular sent by the Ukrainian Institute to the Budapest International Documentary Festival (BIDF), the Board of the Festival makes the following proposal and summarizes its rationale below: 

The BIDF team has condemned Russian aggression since 24th February 2022, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and has openly advocated the recognition and protection of Ukraine's territorial integrity. Using its own resources - which, being a cultural organisation, are extremely limited – BIDF has done everything in its power to raise the greatest possible awareness for the "Ukrainian cause", that is the plight of Ukrainian citizens and filmmakers. At the same time, aiming to form a bridge between Ukraine and Hungarian citizens in a multiply distorted information space.

The greatest testament to our efforts is the fact that the festival has hosted 11 Ukrainian films and their creators in the last 2 years, since the outbreak of the war, and has organised numerous thematic, dedicated programmes on the topic. In 2025 alone, 5 Ukrainian films were included in the festival programme for this purpose. 

Since its foundation, BIDF has considered the core values ​​of the European Union, such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, human rights and minority rights’ protection, as its main charter. With its films, it aims to serve as a moral platform across national borders and ethnic groups, free from politics and negative external factors. In support of this, our irreproachable professional team of several hundred people and audience of more than 150,000 has, for over 10 years, given us their unanimous and unshakable authorisation and approval through their presence and often their name. 

We believe that if one examines the festival's political, film-political and cultural engagement in a wider context, there can be no doubt about its unbiased, uncompromising position on the war. BIDF conveys a clear set of values, and precisely because of its respect for these European Union values, it cannot exclude a film (in this case, the Canadian-French production in question) from its programme simply because it contains controversial points. A review committee consisting of independent experts (political experts, propaganda experts, political, economic and Russia-expert journalists and many others) unanimously decided to include and keep the film in the programme, due to its anti-war stance (which in many cases descends to propagandistic depths). Taking into account the European value system - which Putin's state apparatus amongst others is trying to destroy - and the "audiatur et altera pars" principle, i.e. this is a mosaic piece of a larger whole, festival visitors will be able to appreciate this film within a larger context and not consider it to be the sole truth as regards the war.

What is the role of a festival?:
Nowadays, a merciless war is ongoing in our immediate neighbourhood and people from Africa to Asia sleep and wake in fear. When misplaced words, greed and political games can spark new wars, when the rise of extremist and authoritarian political parties and governments is gaining ground. When the free press is constantly under pressure and when "fake news" is part of everyday life. Where political bargains and intimidation have become everyday, there art and culture form a bastion where human destinies and feelings, joy and pain can be presented, heard and discussed in a safe environment..

This goal and commitment can only be realized in an environment where viewers have the opportunity to interpret the film in its context. We propose to keep the screenings, opening them by stating the stance of the festival team. Furthermore, we would invite independent and open experts to our post-screening audience meeting. Here, viewers can openly ask questions and our independent experts can provide a wider context for the film.

The statement presented before the screening will include the following:
The entire BIDF directorate unanimously rejects all attempts by Russia and the Putin regime to invade Ukraine and illegally annex its territories.

The Russian army has committed more than 140,000 confirmed cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has launched an investigation into Russia on charges of genocide.

The following film was shot in an extreme situation, and as a result, only provides insight into certain details of reality. It is a work that does NOT meet the criteria of balanced factual communication.

WARNING, in the absence of contextual knowledge this may convey false information!

Please support Ukraine in its patriotic struggle by donating at the following address (or use the QR code): https://standforukraine.com/

Conclusion:
We note with concern that more and more people around the world are choosing culture as their battlefield. Instead of dialogue and a search for solutions, there are conflicts and misunderstandings, deals and threats, as well as the harming of others under political pressure, be they people, creations or feelings. Like many other innocent people, representatives of culture, institutions and those who try to keep it alive are under attack, be they theatres like Mariupol, directors or festivals around the world, who are threatened and put under political pressure, causing, or even forcing independent professionals to give up their work dedicated to culture and society.

Let's not forget that society and culture are inseparable, neither can exist without the other, and the freedom of culture, namely freedom of thought, creation and opinion, are inviolable rights for everyone.

Above all, let's not forget the fact that a festival can do things that many people can’t: those in a struggle, or those under existential threat, or those whose voices cannot be heard. We can form a bridge between them, their stories and the outside world. We can give them the opportunity to be remembered accurately, so that history does not bury so many pieces of reality in its sinkhole. One day, when the guns fall silent, we can remember these moments as the ones that awakened us to openness and the desire for truth.

That is why we ask everyone to attend and support the survival of culture, the rise of truth, and the protection of the core values ​​of the independent free world, and the European Union.

BIDF is committed to using culture to convey truth, present diverse realities and provide opportunities for dialogue and understanding, which the world needs today more than ever.