Live at The Weitzman
6:00pm Program Start
$20 GA | $15 Members
Part of Philadelphia Jewish Film + Media’s Jewish Resilience Film and Media Series

Registration Opening Soon

Join us at The Weitzman for a special screening of Torn, a powerful new documentary that captures the conflicts surrounding the ‘KIDNAPPED’ posters which were created in New York City following the October 7th attacks. Directed by Nim Shapira, Torn follows individuals on both sides of this paper war—those putting up posters and those tearing them down—unpacking the deep emotions, political tensions, and cultural divides that have played out on the city’s walls.

The screening will be followed by a conversation with Nim Shapira, Dede Bandaid, Nitzan Mintz, Alana Zeitchik and Aaron Terr, who will offer insights into the film and the larger discourse surrounding public expression, activism, and identity in times of conflict. The conversation will be moderated by Rabbi Abe Friedman. Don’t miss this urgent and thought-provoking look at how a global crisis manifests in the everyday streets of New York.

About the Panelists:

Nim Shapira is an award-winning fiflmmaker, creative director and multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn. His work has been featured at prestigious festivals such as TED, Tribeca Film Festival, Cannes’ Marché du Film, SIGGRAPH and Slamdance. Nim is a graduate of La Biennale di Venezia’s College Cinema and a former research fellow at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab. He’s led award-winning campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola and Nike. 

Dede Bandaid and Nitzan Mintz are renowned Israeli street artists, now residing and working on their art in New York. As a creative duo, they amplify their narratives by blending imagery and words, engaging audiences in thought-provoking ways. Together, they create a distinctive fusion of visual art and poetry, fostering dialogue on complex social and political issues. On October 7, 2023, they, along with Tal Huber, created the KIDNAPPED FROM ISRAEL poster campaign.

Alana Zeitchik is an Israeli-American advocate, speaker and writer based in Brooklyn. She serves as the Executive Director of The Narrow Bridge PRoject, a non-profit organiation that brings young Jewish people together for courageous dialogue across differing perspectives. On October 7th, 2023, seven of her family members were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. Two of them, ARiel and David Cunio, remain in Hamas captivity. 

Aaron Terr is the Director of Public Advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expressions (FIRE), a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to defending Americans’ rights to free speech and free thought. He has been with FIRE since 2021. 

Torn delves into the controversy surrounding the ‘KIDNAPPED’ poster campaign, a grassroots effort to raise awareness about the 250 hostages taken by Hamas. These posters quickly became polarizing symbols, sparking intense clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine activists and turning New York City’s streets into battlegrounds of ideology and emotion.

The film explores the motivations behind activists putting up and tearing down the posters, unraveling the complexities of this intense ‘paper arm’ proxy war, fought thousands of miles from the actual conflict.

Presented by Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media in partnership with The Weitzman.