Broadcast & Television Coverage
MSNBC Morning Joe: “When the Posters Were Torn, So Was the Social Fabric”
Oscars Filmmaker Conversation with Joe McGovern & Nim Shapira — “A Film About America, Not the Middle East”
CBS NEWS NY: “The Only Way Forward Is Coexistence”
CNN: One World with Zain Asher & Bianna Golodryga: “The First Casualty in New York Streets Was Empathy”
NEWSNATION: Morning in America with Hena Doba: “We Don’t Have Missiles Over Our Heads — The Least We Can Do Is Talk”
National & Industry Press
“A film that presents questions – not answers.”
— Eitan Weiss, The Hollywood Reporter (September 3, 2025)
“A timely, powerful, and thought-provoking film.”
— Josh Weiss, Forbes (September, 2025)
“Shapira’s film highlights how a grassroots poster campaign transformed New York’s streets into a battleground of identity and empathy.”
— Adrian Hennigan, Haaretz (May, 2025)
Documentary examines hostage posters at center of NYC Israel-Palestine clashes: ‘The social fabric was torn apart’
— Doree Lewak, NYPOST (October, 2025)
“‘TORN’: The Film That Captures New York’s Poster Wars After October - A gripping and powerful chronicle.”
— Hannah Brown, The Jerusalem Post (September, 2025)
Film Critics & Review Outlets
“Nim Shapira's documentary promotes empathy for all by focusing on the human element of war and other conflicts.”
— Christopher Campbell, Nonfics (September, 2025)
“Audience Alert: This Film Can Take Your Breath Away. It Can Also Make You Gasp:
A wrenching, extraordinary, adrenaline-pumping investigation that hijacks audiences into becoming eyewitnesses.”
— Greggory W. Morris, The WORD (September, 2025)
“5 out of 5 stars … a moving and important documentary focused on empathy.”
— Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies (September, 2025)
“Illuminating, compelling and heartfelt.”
— Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru (September, 2025)
“It speaks to the universal pain of people who want neither side to come to harm.”
— Brian Skutle, Sonic Cinema (September, 2025)
“Shapira’s brilliant new documentary never tries to editorialize or dehumanize”
“Israel-Hamas poster war tears the social fabric of New York.”
— Rebecca Kurson, Book and Film Globe (September, 2025)
“A bracing, provocative documentary that dares to enter the culture clash few filmmakers want to touch.”
— Christian Toto, Toto in Hollywood Podcast (September, 2025)
‘Torn’: Degrading Hostage Posters in NYC Simply posting flyers of the kidnapped in Gaza ignites hateful activism and missed opportunities.
— Joe Bendel, The Epoch Times (September, 2025)
Jewish Publications
“Torn is a remarkable attempt to understand what happens when empathy collapses”
— Seth Mandel, Commentary (September 2025)
“Two years later, these films and TV series keep the stories of October 7 alive”
— Alan Zeitlin, Unpacked Media (October 2025)
“Torn implores us to recognize the need for shared grief and peaceful coexistence“
— Helene Meyers, Lilith Magazine, (October 2025)
“With all living hostages released … ‘Torn’ remains deeply relevant.”
— Philissa Cramer, Jewish Telegraphic Agency (August 2025)
“An intimate documentary showing how New Yorkers grappled with grief and solidarity through posters and public debate.”
— Agatha Khishchenko, Jewish Telegraphic Agency (December 2024)
“A Nuanced Documentary About the Israeli Hostage Posters in NYC”
— Lior Zaltzman, Kveller (October 2025)
“Torn is an unvarnished and at times heartbreaking look at how the war and its aftermath played out in New York.“
— Curt Schleier, The Jewish Standard (August, 2025)
“A haunting portrait of NYC’s poster war, Torn reveals how grief, denial, and dialogue collided on city streets after October 7—turning walls into battlegrounds of empathy and division.”
— Sarah Pachter, AISH (September, 2025)
Panel Discussions & Audience Q&As
Columbia University’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies
Film Programmer Stuart Weinstock interviews director Nim Shapira, street artists Dede Bandaid and Nitzan Mintz, hostage family member Alana Zeitchik, and subjects Julia Simon & Elisha Fine. Watch here
JCC Manhattan Screening
“Isaac Zablocki, Senior Director of Film Programs & Israel Film Center, interviews director Nim Shapira, subject Alana Zeitchik and artists Nitzan Mintz & Dede Bandaid.
Watch here
Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History
Rabbi Abe Friedman of Temple Beth Zion–Beth Israel interviews director Nim Shapira, artists Dede Bandaid & Nitzan Mintz, FIRE Public Advocacy Director Aaron Terr, and advocate Alana Zeitchik. Watch here
“14th Street Y: 77th Yom Ha’atzmaut – Speech by Nim Shapira”
“Director/Producer Nim Shapira delivers a speech on resilience, community, strength and hope to mark the 77th Yom Ha’atzmaut.” Watch here › at 19:00 minutes
Podcasts & Radio Broadcast Features
“The Gist – Interview with Nim Shapira”
“Mike Pesca speaks with director Nim Shapira about TORN, exploring empathy, public grief, and the way a poster campaign reshaped New York’s civic life.”
— The Gist with Mike Pesca (September 2025)
“Israel–Palestine Conflict Documentary Comes to Park City to Spur Healing Discussions”
— Jonas Wright, NPR KPCW (August 2025)
Regional & Local Coverage
“Documentary Zooms in on New York City’s Israel–Palestine Poster War”
“Shapira’s film resonates in Park City, sparking dialogue across faiths and perspectives.”
— Scott Iwasaki, The Park Record (August 2025)
“Two Stark Films Explore the Aftermath of Oct. 7 in Both Israel and U.S.”
— Maya Mirsky, JWeekly (March 2025)
“An Unsettling, Deeply Important Documentary”
— Deborah Cassrels, The Jewish Independent (September, 2025)
“‘TORN’ Film on Tearing of Hostage Posters Presented at Yeshiva University”
— By Daniel Brauner, The Jewish Link, (November 2024)
“‘TORN’ Documentary Shown at Weitzman Museum as Part of Jewish Resilience Event”
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