The prescient writings of George Orwell take center stage in a new documentary opening Nov. 29 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center.
Also opening is "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You."
George Orwell was one of the most visionary authors of the 20th Century, whose novels "1984" and "Animal Farm" foretold a chilling, all-to-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.
"Orwell: 2+2=5" is rated R and plays through Dec. 4.
With the whiplash pace of a thriller, writer/director Mary Bronstein takes audiences into a breathtakingly inventive, unexpectedly funny, yet startlingly relatable fever-dream of parental anxiety. Rose Byrne gives a one-of-a-kind cinematic portrait of ultra-pressurized motherhood as Linda, an overwhelmed therapist who finds herself in a state of frenzy and obsessive dread as she grapples with a mounting series of head-spinning crises.
The result is a gripping tale of personal horror and a moving illumination of that moment in life when it all becomes too much.
"If I Had Legs I'd Kick You" is rated R and shows through Dec. 11
For more information on films, including showtimes and ticket availability, visit the Ross' website.
