Raoul Peck documents the dystopian warnings from '1984'
France 24
by Olivia SALAZAR-WINSPEARFebruary 20, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
Raoul Peck’s new documentary, *“2+2 = 5”*, reimagines George Orwell’s dystopian warnings from *1984* for the modern era, using Orwell’s own words to highlight pressing issues like alternative facts, mass surveillance, and media monopolies. Instead of creating a traditional biopic about the British author, Peck crafts an urgent, thought-provoking film that serves as a cautionary tale about the fragility of democracies in today’s world. The Haitian director emphasizes how Orwell’s prophetic warnings are being realized across the globe, from creeping authoritarianism to the erosion of truth.
Peck’s film takes its title from a propaganda technique described in *1984*, where two and two are manipulated to equal five—a metaphor for the distortion of reality under totalitarian regimes. Drawing parallels between Orwell’s fictional universe and contemporary politics, Peck explores how democratic systems are increasingly threatened by forces such as misinformation, surveillance, and the concentration of media power. These issues, he argues, are not just abstract warnings but real-world challenges facing societies today.
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Originally published on France 24 on 2/20/2026