Dozens of cinemas across the United States are planning to screen the film adaption of George Orwell’s 1984 in protest of reports that President Donald Trump is allegedly considering cuts to arts funding.
The film, starring the late John Hurt, will be screened on April 4, the date in the book in which Smith begins his rebellion against Big Brother, the all-seeing eye of the fascist regime.
The 1949 novel follows the struggles of Winston Smith, a man living in a totalitarian police state, and has become culturally iconic as a symbol of fascist regimes.
Leading independent cinemas including the Alamo Drafthouse, IFC Center, and Film Society of Lincoln Center have all signed up to host screenings, according to the Independent.
Although the theater protests form part of a wider opposition to Donald Trump’s agenda, the group behind the effort says its goal is to push back against the Trump administration’s reported plans to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts.
“The endeavor encourages theaters to take a stand for our most basic values: freedom of speech, respect for our fellow human beings, and the simple truth that there are no such things as ‘alternative facts’. By doing what they do best – showing a movie – the goal is that cinemas can initiate a much-needed community conversation at a time when the existence of facts and basic human rights are under attack,” reads a statement from the project’s website.
“Through nationwide participation and strength in numbers, these screenings are intended to galvanize people at the crossroads of cinema and community, and bring us together to foster communication and resistance against current efforts to undermine the most basic tenets of our society,” it continues.
Since Trump’s inauguration, Amazon revealed that sales of the book 1984 have risen significantly.
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