NEW YORK / LOS ANGELES — TORN: The Israel-Palestine Poster War, a 60-minute documentary directed by Nim Shapira, will open in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles on September 5, 2025, Hemdale Films and Hannover House announced. The film charts how a grassroots campaign to raise awareness for the 251 hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, ignited a symbolic “paper war” across the city, with posters torn down by opposing activists.
Shapira’s documentary follows ten New Yorkers, among them hostage family members, street artists, students, activists, a free speech expert, and a rabbi, as they confront grief and identity amid hyper-polarized public discourse. One story features Israeli-American advocate Alana Zeitchik, whose relatives remain captive in Gaza, and another centers on artists Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid, who launched the “KIDNAPPED FROM ISRAEL” poster campaign.
The film’s awards-qualifying launch is followed by expansion to additional cities through September and October, with a digital release slated later this year. Early pre-release screenings in Toronto, Boston, and Miami have drawn Jewish community leaders and cultural organizations, underscoring its resonance with pro-Israel and Zionist audiences.
TORN marks the revival of Hemdale Films, the indie label behind Oscar winners Platoon and The Last Emperor, relaunched under Hannover House, Inc. “We were waiting for the right film to reintroduce Hemdale,” said Hannover House CEO Eric Parkinson. “TORN is bold, urgent, and conversation-starting work that defines our legacy.”
Critics note that the poster disputes extended beyond art vandalism into questions of free speech and communal solidarity. A PBS International synopsis describes how the film “dives into the firestorm” sparked by the posters and explores “the limits of empathy in a fractured public square.”
This article is based on verified information from Hemdale Films, Algemeiner, Vimooz, and PBS International