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ABOUT THE FILM

George Orwell was one of the most visionary authors of the 20th Century, whose novels, 1984 and Animal Farm, foretold a chilling, authoritarian future. Acclaimed director Raoul Peck (Academy Award-nominated I Am Not Your Negro) interweaves clips, readings from Orwell's diary, cinematic references, and modern-day footage to craft not only a portrait of the writer, but a fresh take on how prescient his work has become. Peck doesn't just present the information but shows new ways of seeing it, drawing patterns and connections we might not otherwise realize, championing Orwell as a man from the past who just might hold the key to the world's future.

"I have a lot of trouble every time I hear columnists talk about 'dystopia' or calling [Orwell] a 'prophet.' He was of course not a prophet. He was talking about the world around him. It’s not a projection, it’s an analysis. He’s working through it all... It’s the world as it is, as he was living it." –Raoul Peck, Director