“Canadians need to know that Iran is a brutal regime that funds terrorism all over the world, and they’re trying to get a nuclear weapon,” Fred Litwin, president of The Free Thinking Film Society, was quoted as saying in response to pressures from the regime’s Embassy that the film not be shown.
According to National Post, demand for tickets was high, with one seller telling Mr. Litwin his phone was ringing off the hook.
The film was supposed to be screened last month, but threats of protest and official pleas from the Iranian regime’s embassy shut it down, provoking public condemnations by Canadian officials over the regime’s attempts to bring censorship to Canada.
Following the cancellation, Heritage Minister, James Moore, instructed Library and Archives Canada to show the film, saying Canada is a free country and that freedom of expression is a core value that won’t be compromised.
“We don’t back down to people who try to censor people by threats of violence,” he said in an interview with the CBC last month.
Mr. Moore was in attendance at the Sunday night event.
Before the screening, he was quoted by National Post as saying, “This movie will be shown, the agreement will be kept and this movie Iranium will be shown at Library and Archives Canada.”
“We will not be moving it to a different facility, we’re not bending to any pressure,” he added.