A documentary about empathy, identity, and the boundaries of dialogue in a polarized world.
In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, posters of Israeli hostages appeared on walls and street corners in cities across the world. Many were quickly torn down, sparking anger, confusion, and a fierce struggle over visibility and compassion in public space.
In Torn, Israeli filmmaker Nim Shapira, based in New York, turns his lens toward this phenomenon — not in the Middle East, but in the heart of Western cities. Through encounters with friends, activists, and strangers, he explores what happens when personal grief and political activism collide.
The result is a deeply personal, visually powerful film about identity, trauma, and how people who once shared hope for coexistence have become divided by fear, loyalty, and ideology.
After each screening, Kos & Kaos hosts a conversation inspired by the film’s central question:
What happens when empathy becomes political — and can dialogue survive the age of outrage?
In collaboration with The Jewish Community of Denmark and Kos & Kaos, the Copenhagen screening will feature an intimate conversation between:
The discussion will focus on public space, empathy, and the limits of dialogue — exploring how grief and activism play out in Western media and culture, and what it means to speak about Israel in Europe today.
Following the screening, a conversation on the psychological and social dimensions of polarization will take place with:
Alexander Zlatanos Ibsen, Minerva
Peder Kjøs, psychologist and author
Yael Nilsen and Sarah Abraham, members of the 7/10 Group
Additional guests to be announced
The discussion will focus on public space, empathy, and the limits of dialogue — exploring how grief and activism play out in Western media and culture, and how collective trauma, fear, and identity shape public discourse.
The final screening in the series will take place in collaboration with Det Mosaiske Trossamfunn i Trondheim.
The event will include a panel conversation reflecting on Torn and the broader European climate after October 7 — exploring questions of Jewish visibility, media narratives, and how communities across Scandinavia experience polarization.
The full lineup of speakers will be announced soon, but includes Nim Shapira and the Yael Nilsen & Sarah Abraham.