ORWELL 2+2=5 Trailer: Raoul Peck’s Newest Documentary is a Cautionary Observation of the Present & Future

Not many figures have prophecized the future as urgently as George Orwell. The “1984” and “Animal Farm” author’s work and its connection to the state of the world today is observed in the latest film from documentarian Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro). Orwell: 2+2=5 combines the iconic author’s prescient writings, scenes from filmed adaptations of his works, and footage from current events to paint an urgent portrait of the parallels to our modern times. Damian Lewis narrates as the voice of Orwell, using texts from his personal diary.

It premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and will soon screen at TIFF as part of its Docs section. NEON, which bought the film at Cannes, will roll it out in select theaters October 3.

Here’s the official synopsis:

George Orwell was one of the most visionary authors of the 20th Century, whose novels 1984 and Animal Farm foretold a chilling, all-too-believable authoritarian future. Acclaimed director Raoul Peck (Academy Award-nominated I Am Not Your Negro), working in collaboration with the Orwell Estate, seamlessly interweaves historical clips, readings from Orwell’s diary, cinematic references, and dynamic modern day footage to craft not only a definitive portrait of the writer himself, but an entirely fresh take on how remarkably relevant and prophetic 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.

Watch the gripping trailer below.

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