DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
With extremism on the rise across the world, we have witnessed George become a target of conspiracy theories. So now more than ever, his story has to be told.
— Jesse Dylan
I first met George in Budapest in 2012. His Open Society Foundations wanted to harness the power of film to tell the stories of the work they do all over the globe. Over the next few years, through my work with Open Society, I gained a much deeper understanding about what doing good actually means. George was doing this on a giant level. But there was mystery to it. I got to travel and interview George many times. And I realized that I was uniquely placed to fit together the pieces of George’s life, from his childhood in Budapest under the Nazi occupation to today when as a 90-year-old he devotes himself to tackling the most burning issues of our time. He has such a complex and unique approach to philanthropy. He believes that people should do their own work—he doesn’t decide their priorities. It is something I had never seen before, and it was revelatory. Over the years, I kept asking if I could make a documentary, and it took a while for George to agree to it as he doesn’t like to spend time talking about himself. Even then, I have to say, George was not excited. But, as a filmmaker, I felt it was imperative to put the truth out there about who he is and all that he stands for. With extremism on the rise across the world, we have witnessed George become a target of conspiracy theories. So now more than ever, his story has to be told. It’s not always obvious how to be a good person in society or how to achieve progress, but you cannot sit on the sidelines. You have to act. George is one of the biggest actors for good the world has ever known.
— Jesse Dylan
ABOUT JESSE DYLAN | Director/Executive Producer
A prolific director, immersive storyteller, and visionary problem-solver, Jesse Dylan strives to be in service of ideas that change the world both inside and outside of his creative agency Wondros. Vibrant in his passions and dedicated to creating thoughtful, engaging content, he is the energy behind his projects’ mission to break barriers and generate large-scale impact. As the mind behind some of the most successful campaigns in commercial television, print and interactive advertising, Jesse has dedicated his career to telling the stories of some of the world’s most innovative individuals and organizations.