Neon Studios
Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5 Brings George Orwell’s Dystopian Vision to TIFF
Raoul Peck underscores that Orwell’s message was never limited to Soviet authoritarianism: “Authoritarians don’t only happen in faraway countries. It can happen in the UK, in the United States, and elsewhere.”
More than 75 years after George Orwell’s 1984 shocked readers with its chilling vision of surveillance, authoritarianism, and thought control, acclaimed director Raoul Peck is reviving the writer’s legacy in his new documentary Orwell: 2+2=5. The film, which premiered at Cannes earlier this year, will make its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) next month.
Raoul Peck, known for his Oscar-nominated I Am Not Your Negro and films on historical figures like Patrice Lumumba and Karl Marx, calls Orwell’s insights into political power and repression “alarmingly accurate.” Speaking about the project, Raoul Peck emphasized how a man who died in 1950 could still “be that accurate about what is happening today.”
Revisiting Orwell’s Legacy
Orwell: 2+2=5 takes its title from the false equation used in 1984 as a symbol of enforced obedience to authority. The film moves beyond Orwell’s most famous novels to explore the writer’s broader body of work, including Down and Out in Paris and London, Burmese Days, and Homage to Catalonia.
TIFF’s chief documentary programmer Thom Powers notes that Peck “pulls lines and impressions from these works and others, enlisting British actor Damian Lewis to embody the voice of the author.”
The Raoul Peck documentary blends passages of Orwell’s writings with footage from adaptations of Animal Farm and 1984, layered with contemporary news clips and images of rising authoritarianism across the globe. From state surveillance to government crackdowns, the documentary highlights how Orwell’s warnings continue to resonate.
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Trump, Thought Police, and Today’s Politics
The trailer for Orwell: 2+2=5 even references modern politics, including a fleeting appearance of U.S. President Donald Trump. His recent criticism of the Smithsonian Institution for its focus on slavery and social struggles is framed as an echo of Orwell’s “Thought Police,” attempting to control public narratives about history and identity.
Raoul Peck underscores that Orwell’s message was never limited to Soviet authoritarianism: “Authoritarians don’t only happen in faraway countries. It can happen in the UK, in the United States, and elsewhere.”
TIFF Premiere and Global Recognition
The documentary will screen at TIFF on September 8 and 9, and will later be honored at the 6th Annual Albie Awards in New York City on September 24 for its impact. Distributor Neon is set to bring the film to wider audiences after the festival run.
Following the critical acclaim of Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro, expectations are high for Orwell: 2+2=5 to spark conversations about democracy, freedom, and the dangers of unchecked power. As Orwell’s 1984 continues to surge in popularity during moments of political turmoil, Peck’s film arrives as both a warning and a reminder: the dystopian future Orwell imagined may already be here.
