Andrea Mandell

USA TODAY

Independent movie theaters are planning a cinematic response to President Trump's policies: They're screening George Orwell's 1984.

On April 4, 90 theaters in 34 states will screen 1984, starring the late John Hurt, which is the same date in Orwell’s novel that the rebellion begins.

"Orwell’s portrait of a government that manufactures their own facts, demands total obedience and demonizes foreign enemies, has never been timelier," read a joint statement sent on behalf of participating arthouse theaters, including the Alamo Drafthouse, IFC Center and Film Society of Lincoln Center.

The screening of the film, they add, "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."

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Another goal of screening the '80s film, they state, is to bring more attention to the proposed defunding of the National Endowment for the Arts program.

Orwell wrote his chilling classic in 1949, portraying a vision of the future in which “Big Brother,” or the totalitarian government, is always watching. The dark story follows Winston Smith, who works at the Ministry of Truth but must rewrite history with lies.

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In recent weeks, 1984 has seen a massive resurgence, surging to No. 1 on USA TODAY's books list and climbing to the top of Amazon.com's bestseller list of books. The book has been in such demand that publisher Penguin has ordered a 75,000-book reprint.

Proceeds for the indie screenings will go to local charities and organizations or towards underwriting future educational and community-related programming, the theater owners say.