Why We Dream follows eight World War II veterans in the lead-up to and during the 80th anniversary celebration of D-Day in Normandy, France.

U.S. Army General James Van Fleet once referred to them as The Greatest Generation in 1953. Longtime NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw wrote a book about them. The phrase still holds true today as they were the ones who rose up to the challenge and enlisted following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1947. They were the ones who fought in both the Europe and Pacific Theater in a battle to defeat fascism. They were seen as heroes after they landed on the beaches of Normandy in 1944 and liberated France on their way to defeating Hitler and the Nazis the following year.

It was only a matter of time before we got a feature-length documentary about the 80th anniversary. Matt Damon narrated the 24-minute In the Company of Heroes last year during NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics with a number of the same WWII veterans also being featured. It was fitting that the world premiere of Why We Dream was held on the USS Intrepid. While the ship didn’t participate in the European Theater, it saw plenty of action in the Pacific Theater. It was even more fitting that the premiere took place on the 81-st anniversary of D-Day.

Many of the veterans in Why We Dream were centenarians or close to it at the time of last year’s annual Best Defense Foundation and Delta Air Lines’ “Return to Normandy” flight. Some stayed back home, others made the trip, and we see how the landscapes are able unlock their memories. Not just of the lives they went onto live, but those who didn’t survive the war. Betty Huffman-Rosevear’s military service as a nurse in the Pacific Theater came after her husband was shot down in Europe. She did the only thing she felt she could do at the time. All in all, the experiences of these veterans would forever shape their lives, especially when it came to Post-War America.

Much like Holocaust survivors, fewer and fewer World War II veterans are alive today. This year’s trip only saw 30 veterans making the journey. The number will likely be fewer and fewer, much like ceremonies at Auschwitz. But anyway, Why We Dream shows how it wasn’t the war battles that shaped them. It was stories of humanity and beauty. You have to remember that for many people serving during WWII, they grew up during the Great Depression. One mentioned being a poor farm boy from Minnesota.

Why We Dream features rare war archival, 16mm home movies, cinematic portraiture, and classic film excerpts. Among the films featured are the Why We Fight propaganda films–the ones in the film are credited to director Frank Capra. They were produced by the War Department during 1942-45 and made as way of responding to Leni Riefenstahl’s 1935 Triumph of the Will. The film also features footage from last year’s ceremony at Omaha Beach, where French President Emmanuel Macron presented World War II veteran Arlester Brown with the Legion of Honor.

As the great-great-granddaughter of a woman killed during the Holocaust, I will forever salute The Greatest Generation for the heroes that they are. Many of them are no longer with us but I salute and thank them for their service. Because without them, America would have lost the war and I wouldn’t be alive today. Why We Dream is a testament and tribute to their service during WWII and ensures that the legacy of these eight veterans will forever live on.

DIRECTOR: Meredith Danluck
STORY BY: Meredith Danluck, Casey Engelhardt
FEATURING: Arlester Brown, Sam Carlile, Gideon Kantor, Wally King, ‘Papa’ Jake Larson, George Mullins, Andy Negra Jr., Betty Huffman-Rosevear, Jay Biancalana, Karlan Larson, Paula Lee Micallef

Why We Dream holds its world premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival in the Tribeca X program. Grade: 4/5

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