TORN plunges into the battle raging on New York City’s streets after October 7, 2023 when the now-iconic “KIDNAPPED” posters of Israeli hostages became lightning rods for rage and resistance. Through the voices of artists, activists, and hostage families, the film exposes how a distant war erupted on subway walls and sidewalks—igniting confrontations between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian New Yorkers, and forcing a reckoning with identity, free speech, and empathy in an age of polarization.
TORN is an independent feature documentary, filmed and produced in New York City.
Produced and Directed by Nim Shapira
www.torn-film.com
instagram: @torn_documentary
The acclaimed new documentary TORN: The Israel-Palestine Poster War (https://www.torn-film.com/) on NYC Streets, directed by award-winning filmmaker Nim Shapira, will open in select theaters in New York (Cinema Village) and Los Angeles (Laemmle’s Town Center 5) on Friday, September 5, 2025.
Set in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks, TORN traces the eruption of a grassroots poster campaign to raise awareness for the 251 hostages taken by Hamas. What began as a plea for empathy quickly escalated into a symbolic street war, as pro-Israel and pro-Palestine activists tore down each other’s posters and battled over public messaging across New York City.
Told through the voices of 10 New Yorkers — including hostage family members, artists, students, activists, a free speech expert, and a rabbi — the film explores grief, identity, and the limits of empathy in today’s fractured public discourse.
With over 70 pre-release screenings across the U.S. and Canada —I ncluding New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, and Miami — TORN has already ignited vital conversations nationwide. The theatrical release will now bring this timely documentary to a broader audience.
Additional Important Information
TORN is also referred to as TORN: THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE POSTER WAR ON NY CITY STREETS that explores the emotional and political tensions ignited by the “KIDNAPPED” or “KIDNAPPED FROM ISRAEL” poster campaign in New York City.
Those posters were a grassroots effort to raise awareness about the hostages taken by Hamas after October 7 and they became flashpoints in a broader ideological clash on city streets.
The film is directed, produced, and written by Nim Shapira — often credited as Nimrod Shapira, marking his first feature-length documentary. Runtime can vary depending on sources, such as 75 minutes in some, and 80 minutes in others. This writer-reviewer believes many audience members will want to see this documentary again and again – as well as recommending it to neighbors, friends, families, colleagues and more.
the WORD Editor, Reviewer, Writer Gregg W. Morris