Movies

An investigation into the life, work, and enduring influence of the writer George Orwell, connecting his ideas to the contemporary world.

The year is 1949. George Orwell completed his final and most important novel, 1984. The film Orwell: 2+2=5 delves into the final months of Orwell's life and his visionary work, exploring the origins of the disturbing concepts he introduced in his dystopian magnum opus, such as doublethink, thoughtcrime and Newspeak. The ever-present figure of Big Brother represents Orwell's unsettling socio-political truths, which resonate more strongly today than ever before. Through archival footage and reflective narration, this provocative and nightmarish documentary essay connects Orwell’s biography with today’s mechanisms of power and disinformation. Intelligent and powerful, the film brings Orwell's legacy into sharp contemporary focus, serving as a warning about modern forms of control.