George Orwell’s classic story was given a makeover for the big screen by the American secret services in the mid-1950s. Animal Farm delivers brilliant animation, Cold War propaganda dressed as family entertainment, and a revolutionary twist in the tale. Presented in conjunction with the Cold War Spaces program with Tony Shaw.

The film was a landmark in British animation history, made by the Halas & Batchelor animation studio, the British counterpart to Disney. The CIA supported the film’s financing, marketing, and distribution, although its involvement was secret at the time. The CIA was also influential in the adaptation of the story, which changed Orwell’s cynical ending into an anti-Soviet polemic.

Free to watch on Tubi.

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Virtual Film Picks are inspired by the in-person Friday Night Films at the Wende program series. This selection is part of a curated list of weekly movie suggestions that can be watched at home, in conjunction with #WendeOnline.