February 20, 2026

Raoul Peck documents the dystopian warnings from '1984'

13 minutes

Where many filmmakers might have made a conventional biopic about George Orwell, Raoul Peck chose instead to use the British author’s own words to craft an urgent documentary – one that serves as a warning about the dangers of totalitarianism today. The Haitian director joins us to discuss his new film, “2+2 = 5”, which explores how fragile democracies can be in the face of “alternative facts,” mass surveillance and media monopolies. Peck explains how Orwell’s warnings are playing out across the world – and why the resilience of civil society may be our only hope.

...more