Posters highlighting the plight of Israeli hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, are seen being torn down in New York. Photo: Provided

A documentary screening in select theaters in September focuses on the controversy surrounding the torn down posters that raise awareness about the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas terrorists after their attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“TORN: The Israel-Palestine Poster War,” directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker and New Yorker Nim Shapira, chronicles the start of the now iconic “KIDNAPPED” poster campaign after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and how it turned into a point of conflict in New York City, leading to sometimes violent street confrontations between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian activists, some of the latter of whom tore down the posters across Manhattan. The 75-minute documentary “explores grief, identity, and the limits of empathy in today’s fractured public discourse,” according to a description of the film shared with The Algemeiner.

The documentary features interviews with 10 New Yorkers, including family members of hostages, the creators of the “KIDNAPPED” poster campaign, students, activists, a free speech expert, and a rabbi. “My hope – then and now – was that in New York, where we don’t have rockets or missiles flying overhead, we might be able to sit and talk. That we could create space for conversation, even disagreement, without violence,” said Shapira in a released statement. “TORN” is his first feature-length documentary.

“TORN’ began as an attempt to capture a moment when my home — New York City, where I’ve lived for the past 12 years – was being pulled apart,” the filmmaker added. “Not just by headlines, but by the emotional aftershocks of a war taking place thousands of miles away … What began as an act of solidarity [with the hostages] quickly spiraled into something far more layered: a symbolic ‘paper war’ that unfolded on the walls of New York.”

“The simple act of putting up or tearing down a poster became a political event, sparking confrontations across college campuses, neighborhoods, and social media,” Shapira noted. “Suddenly, the war in Gaza wasn’t distant – it was here, reflected on our lampposts, our subway stations, and in the heated arguments between strangers … In an era defined by polarization, ‘TORN’ is both a mirror and a spark: a reflection of how far we’ve drifted apart, and an invitation to sit, reflect, and speak-even across disagreement.”

The film will have its Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in select venues on Sept. 5. It will screen in additional cities throughout September and October, and a digital release is expected in December. More than 50 pre-release screenings are already scheduled across the US and Canada, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, and Miami.

“TORN” is being released by the indie label Hemdale Films, best known for the Oscar-winning classics “Platoon” and “The Last Emperor.” Following a decades-long hiatus, Hemdale relaunched under Hannover House, Inc. and “TORN” is its first release since the relaunch.

“We were waiting for the right film to reintroduce Hemdale,” said Eric Parkinson, CEO of Hannover House. “‘TORN’ is not only timely and awards-worthy — it’s the kind of bold, conversation-starting work that defines our legacy.”

Watch the trailer for “TORN: The Israel-Palestine Poster War” below.