TORN: The Israel-Palestine
Poster War on NYC Streets
“A film that presents questions - not answers” – The Hollywood Reporter
“Timely, powerful, and thought-provoking documentary” – FORBES
“Gripping and powerful chronicle” – Haaretz
“Provocative” – Deadline
“Remarkable” – Commentary Magazine
”Shows a clear interest in people over politics” – Christopher Campbell, Nonfics
After Hamas kidnapped 251 people from Israel on October 7, and as Israel’s war in Gaza unfolded, a conflict thousands of miles away erupted on New York’s walls.
TORN captures the emotional fallout of the now-iconic “KIDNAPPED” poster campaign - a grassroots act of solidarity that quickly became a flashpoint, igniting fierce confrontations between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian New Yorkers.
Through the voices of artists, activists, and hostage families, the film unpacks the motivations behind those putting up and tearing down the posters, exposing a complex proxy war fought in stickers, slogans, and torn paper.
By revealing how a distant war fractured daily life in one of the world’s most diverse cities, TORN forces 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.
Distributed internationally by PBS distribution.
