‘1984’ to screen as Trump seeks arts funding cuts

The Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Museum of Art will join almost 90 art-house movie theaters in 34 states and Canada in screening the film version of George Orwell’s “1984” in response to President Donald Trump’s reported plans to reduce or eliminate government spending on the arts and humanities.

The screening of the film, which was released in 1984 and stars John Hurt, will be at 7:30 p.m. April 4. In Orwell’s novel, April 4 is the day Hurt’s character, Winston Smith, begins keeping a diary, which is considered an act of rebellion by the government.

“We are part of the Arthouse Convergence, a collective of art-house theatres across the U.S., and we joined many of our fellow venues across the states in collectively screening the film ‘1984’ on the same day,” said Taylour Chang, director of the Doris Duke Theater, in a statement.

The event also was organized in response to Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway’s use of the term “alternative facts” to explain White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s comments about the crowd size at Trump’s inauguration. “Alternative facts” has been likened to “doublethink,” a term used in “1984” to describe the idea of accepting contradictory beliefs as correct.

Tickets are $8 for members, $10 for nonmembers. Visit honolulumuseum.org or 532-6097 for information.

For a full list of participating theaters, visit unitedstateofcinema.com.