No matter what some political pundits say, the strength of America is its diversity. Diversity of race, gender, sexuality, and experience. We become greater as a nation despite the pain that we experience, the misunderstandings we have with family, or the loss that we suffer day after day. When we look back over decades, it is then that we can see the slow growth of connection and movement towards our goals. There are nearly as many stories and visions of this growth as there are people moving towards it. Every story can be worth telling, even if it is a normal path to eventual joy. TheyDream is one of those stories worth telling, and William David Caballero, by allowing us inside, has called us all to be family.
As we are introduced to both the movie and his family, we are allowed to see his family through not only his eyes, but also different forms. TheyDream uses animation, miniatures, and plain old reality through a camera to take us on his journey of growth, personally and in his family structure. As he takes us through about two decades of his family’s experience, the audience is drawn close, sometimes almost too close for comfort. There is no outward concern towards showing a perfect version of his family. Instead, Caballero shows us as real a picture as possible, even though that must have been deeply uncomfortable, and sometimes clearly quite painful.
As the film moves on, it becomes less about form and more about function. That function happens to be connection through recreation. In a series of scenes with his mother, the director essentially revives his family members who have passed. These moments, which also include the frustration inherent in recreating these people, show off not only the incredible work he is doing but the emotions that come from remembrance. As he coaches his mother in tone, speed, and language, these people slowly come back to life, both in their hearts and on screen. These powerful images move from being an idea into being quite real, in laser-sharp focus. But all of these lovely moments pale in comparison to Caballero essentially playacting as his own father, in conversation with himself.
In this back-and-forth of coming out to non-acceptance, one can feel his pain in a palpable way. Just behind his eyes lives a lived pain that elucidates his knowledge that his father never accepted him for who he actually is, as a queer man. His father even uses the fact that he is “not gay” against him. Any queer person who has had an argument with a family member using semantics against them regarding sexuality will feel this deeply. And yet, Caballero always strives to understand, to connect, to find a way inside. Although his father is not present, that becomes all the more clear when talking to his mother, who sometimes makes excuses for her husband.
Importantly, near the beginning of the documentary, he tells his mother that he wants this film to make her feel good about herself. Keeping this in mind, watching him break the fourth wall and comfort her is terribly moving. He knows that this film is secondary to the lives that he is documenting. Even if it would make for emotionally engaging material, his mother’s desire to feel forgiven matters much more. Watching him comfort her provides a pleasant ache for family that lingers long after the scene changes.
Our lives, our families, our connections, our dreams all matter. They are normal. They are ordinary. And yet, when gathered through generations, all of these things are fantastic and cinematic. Sure, it may need miniatures, animation, and imagination, but they become love in motion, helping us to heal. We may never receive the words that we have desired to hear over the years, but we can gain an understanding through all of these attempts at connection. TheyDream, if nothing else, offers us a look deep into one story that matters, one like our own, despite our many differences. Despite all of our personal imperfections, we can find, through memory, our own liberation.
TheyDream had its World Premiere in the NEXT section of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Director: William David Caballero
Rated: NR
Runtime: 91m
TheyDream, if nothing else, offers us a look deep into one story that matters, one like our own, despite our many differences. Despite all of our personal imperfections, we can find, through memory, our own liberation.
Dave is a lifelong film fan who really got his start in the independent film heyday of the 90’s. Since then, he has tried to branch out into arthouse, international, and avant garde film. Despite that, he still enjoys a good romcom or action movie. His goal is to always expand his horizons, through writing and watching new movies.
