CNN Films Acquires ‘Why We Dream’ World War II Documentary About Normandy Legacy Flight Program

CNN Films has acquired “ Why We Dream ,” the feature documentary that tells the story of the Normandy Legacy Flight that brought World War II veterans back to the coast of France in 2024 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. The film from director Meredith Danluck will air on CNN this spring as part of the news network’s larger coverage of the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. “Why We Dream” premiered in June at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. The movie documents the memories and the service of the shrinking number of World War II veterans still living. RELATED CONTENT: ‘Why We Dream’ D-Day Documentary Chronicles Normandy Legacy Flight Program and How WWII Shaped America Popular on Variety ” ‘Why We Dream’ is a deeply moving reflection on sacrifice, memory and the legacy of the Greatest Generation,” said Amy Entelis, executive VP of talent for CNN Originals and creative development for CNN Worldwide. “Meredith Danluck has created an intimate and powerful film that aligns perfectly with CNN Films’ mission to tell stories that illuminate our shared history, particularly as America approaches its 250th anniversary.” The film blends footage of the 2024 D-Day commemoration in Normandy with interviews with the veterans and their families and archival material. In addition to telling the stories of several veterans, the film also examines how the Greatest Generation’s searing experiences of World War II, the Holocaust and the battle against fascism in Europe shaped American culture from the late 1940s to the present day. “Why We Dream” hails from by Delta Air Lines’ Window Seat Studios and Vice Media’s Pulse Films. Drake Springer of Window Seat and Casey Engelhardt and Matthew Shattuck of Pulse Films produced the film, which has a score by Christian Lundberg and Hans Zimmer. “I am beyond excited to share this film, which feels both timeless and urgent. We couldn’t have found a better partner than CNN Films, where emotional storytelling and collective history form the backbone of their incredible roster,” Danluck said. “Why We Dream” is an example of documentary and narrative films and TV show being funded and produced by top-tier companies through content units such as Delta Air Lines’ Window Seat Studios. “This film is about responsibility - what it means to carry memories forward when the people who lived them are nearly gone,” said Springer, who heads Window Seat Studios. “At Delta, supporting veterans and their families is a core value, from being a longtime employer of those who have served to reconnecting them with the places that shaped their lives. After meeting so many WWII veterans onboard our historic Normandy Legacy Flight over the past four years, we felt a deep responsibility to carry their stories forward. Partnering with CNN Films helps ensure these stories are carried forward to audiences around the world and across generations.”

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