A group of WWII veterans returns to Normandy, France, for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and shares their stories in the documentary Why We Dream. The film chronicles the final generation of World War II veterans as they make the pilgrimage.
Why We Dream premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and was also an official selection of the 2025 Deauville American Film Festival in Normandy, France.
Directed by Meredith Danluck, CNN Films will debut the documentary Why We Dream on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, at 8 pm ET/PT on CNN.
Timed to the National Moment of Remembrance, Why We Dream offers a powerful and deeply personal look at a dwindling generation of World War II veterans, following a group of centenarians as they return to Normandy, France, for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Featuring an original score by composer Christian Lundberg and Academy Award® winner Hans Zimmer, the film captures the enduring weight of memory and the urgency of preserving firsthand accounts through intimate reflections, rare archival material, and cinematic portraiture.
“Why We Dream is a living document – a message at the eleventh hour from the last voices of a generation who stood up to forces of tyranny,” said Danluck. “Making this film deeply changed each of us who had the opportunity to work on it and forced us to see freedom and democracy not just in terms of our rights, but in terms of our responsibility.”
Following the premiere, CNN will present a special encore of Christiane Amanpour’s Emmy® Award-winning interview with the late WWII veteran Jake Larson, affectionately known as “Papa Jake,” who is also featured in Why We Dream. The conversation offers Larson’s personal reflections on his wartime experience, extending the film’s themes of legacy, sacrifice, and remembrance.
Continuing that legacy, Delta Air Lines will again bring a group of veterans back to France in partnership with the Best Defense Foundation and Michelin to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. This year’s Normandy Legacy Flight includes three of the veterans featured in this film.
Why We Dream is directed and produced by Meredith Danluck. The film is produced by Drake Springer for Window Seat Studios, Delta Air Lines’ original content arm, and Casey Engelhardt and Matthew Shattuck for Pulse Films, a VICE Media company. Lundberg and Zimmer composed the score via Bleeding Fingers Music.
Watch the official trailer for Why We Dream above.
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