Catch a special screening of ‘Torn,’ a new documentary about those iconic “kidnapped” posters, in NYC this weekend

This Sunday, October 19, the Museum of Jewish Heritage will host a special screening of Torn, a 90-minute documentary about the grassroots campaign that emerged in New York right after October 7, when hundreds of “kidnapped” posters were plastered across the city to raise awareness about the Israeli hostages captured by Hamas two years ago.

The campaign—conceived and executed by Israeli artists and designers Nitzan Mintz and Dede Bandaid, along with graphic designers Tal Huber and Shira Gershooni—quickly sparked confrontations between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian New Yorkers. Videos of arguments and people tearing down the posters flooded social media in the months that followed.

The documentary was written, produced and directed by Nim Shapira and features interviews with the posters’ creators and others whose loved ones were kidnapped on October 7.

Although none of the individuals who opposed the posters or tore them down agreed to go on the record for the documentary, Shapira captures their perspective by quoting emails they sent to the media over the past two years.

The screening at the Museum of Jewish Heritage will be followed by a discussion with Shapira, alongside Julia Simon, a college student who uses her art to raise awareness about antisemitism, and Nina Mogilnik, a New York–based writer who reviews books for the Jewish Book Council.

Tickets for the in-person event can be purchased here.