Peacock recently acquired the U.S. rights to the sports documentary “We Dare to Dream.” The movie, which chronicles the refugee Olympic team at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, debuted on the streamer this past Friday, Dec. 1, according to Variety.
The acquisition comes after the 93-minute feature had its world premiere in June at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. The movie then had a Oscar qualifying theatrical run at Manhattan’s IFC Center in October.
“We Dare to Dream” marks director Waad Al-Kateab’s second feature-length documentary. While discussing the project, the BAFTA-winning filmmaker stated: “The fact that Peacock has now acquired our film gives me hope that millions of people will be able to understand our story, and that we, the world’s refugees, are not the crisis.
“We are a consequence of multiple crises in the world from climate instability to political conflict that are causing millions, like me and my children, to lose their homes and their way of life. With new crises at a breaking point today, I think that this story about the rights and dreams of refugees to participate fully in society could not be more urgent,” Al-Kateab added.
Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia produced “We Dare to Dream.” He helped fund the movie and also played an active role in the feature’s pre-production, production and edit.
Gebbia produced the project alongside Violet Films’ Joanna Natasegara (Virunga), Abigail Anketell-Jones (The Edge of Democracy) and XTR’s Bryn Mooser and Kathryn Everett.
“We Dare to Dream is an extension of the advocacy and the work that I’m already doing in the space of refugee displacement,” Gebbia told Variety in June.
“We Dare to Dream” is just one of the politically minded, social issue nonfiction projects that Peacock has recently begun acquiring. Another feature-length documentary the streamer acquired this year was Commitment to Life. The film chronicles the pivotal role the city of Los Angeles played in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The streamer acquired Commitment to Life following its premiere at Outfest LA Film Festival this past July. The movie also began streaming on Peacock on Dec. 1.
“We Dare to Dream” is the second documentary that Peacock has streamed that is seeking Academy Award consideration. Other recent documentary titles the company premiered include Myth of the Zodiac Killer, Krishnas: Gurus. Karma. Murder. and Dr. Death: Cutthroat Conman.
After “We Dare to Dream” premiered at Tribeca, Angelina Jolie joined signed on to serve as an executive producer on the project. Five months later, John Legend and his Get Lifted Film banner co-founders Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius also signed on to executive produce the feature.
Legend also wrote, composed and performed an original song for the movie titled Don’t Need to Sleep. The Grammy Award-winning musician Legend penned the track with Oak Felder and Justin Tranter.
Al-Kateab’s first feature documentary, “For Sama,” which captures the helmer’s daily life during the siege of the Syrian city, Aleppo, was nominated for an Oscar in 2020. “We Dare to Dream” is also framed by her personal story as an auteur coming to terms with her place in the world as she realizes she can never return home to Aleppo.
“This is a very important and very inspiring story for little kids around the world who are refugees and who are not refugees,” Al-Kateab told Variety. “It reminds us that we all have dreams. We all deserve to have dreams and to have opportunities.”