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Logline
After twenty years chronicling his Puerto Rican family, a director and his mother face devastating losses. Through tears and laughter, they craft animations that bring their loved ones back to life, discovering that every act of creation is also an act of letting go.
About TheyDream
(01)
About the Film
THEYDREAM is a deeply personal autobiographical documentary that traces how art can become a lifeline in the wake of loss. Drawing on two decades of mixed-media filmmaking, Caballero revisits his family’s history in Fayetteville, North Carolina—interweaving new 2D and 3D animations with vérité footage, archival materials, and intimate mother-son conversations.
Rooted in the death of his grandmother Isolina, the film follows Caballero’s mother as she spirals into grief and self-blame, having not been by her mother’s side in her final moments. Instead of retreating, Caballero hands his mother a camera and tools of animation, inviting her to help bring her mother back to life. Audiences witness her trembling first attempts at animating, the tears she sheds inside motion-capture gear, and the gradual reawakening of her creative strength.
Ultimately, THEYDREAM becomes a cinematic act of survival: a testament to how creative collaboration can resurrect memory, restore connection, and guide families through the darkest grief toward healing.
(02)
Confronting Wounds
The film also confronts Caballero’s own unhealed wounds, including animated sequences featuring deceased family members and a searing confrontation with his father about accepting his bisexuality. These scenes—tender, funny, raw, and unvarnished—capture the fierce loyalty and imperfections of a Puerto Rican family facing illness, identity, and generational trauma together.
(03)
Animation Approaches
Through various complementary animation approaches, from handcrafted figurines to digital rotoscoping and full 3D motion capture, Caballero and his mother literally transform themselves into their parents and grandparents—reanimating family stories with honesty, complexity, and love.
Ultimately, THEYDREAM becomes a cinematic act of survival: a testament to how creative collaboration can resurrect memory, restore connection, and guide families through the darkest grief toward healing.
"There are documentaries that feel like informative essays, and then there are documentaries that feel like someone handing you their heart and trusting you not to drop it. TheyDream belongs to the second category."
— Rahul Menon, Script magazine
I grew up between New York City housing projects and a trailer in North Carolina, and creativity became the place where I learned to survive, to process pain, understand my family, and discover my own identity as a bisexual Puerto Rican artist and artist,” said director William D. Caballero.
— William David Caballero
Over the years, I've lost many loved ones in my family and circle of friends. These experiences have made stories about grief and loss deeply personal for me. I've found it very healing to work with William D. Caballero on TheyDream, because he shows how art can be a way to both honor and let go of the past.
— Erin Ploss-Campoamor
My experience of working on TheyDream has been one of evolution. From the story changing mid production to the team growing beyond previous projects, from our R/d expanding possibilities to the development of the layered narrative, this project has been a beautiful mosaic of transformation. My hope is that audiences experience some form of catharsis after watching this film.
— Brad Jones
“The story of love and loss, and coming to terms with relatable family issues is as universal as it gets... TheyDream is equal parts uplifting and heartbreaking...Home videos and voice recordings are used in the footage, but they simply provide the foundation for the truly remarkable world painstakingly created.”
—The Sunshine Cineplex
“Compelling...Captivating...Extraordinary...Moved me to tears”
—The Latino Slant
"TheyDream left me in tears more than once. Can't recommend this one enough...It's beautiful and heartbreaking but also humorous and hopeful...There's really nothing like it and may be one of the most original and emotional engaging documentaries I've seen..."
—Nerdbot
“Quietly Astonishing...TheyDream is intimate, inventive, and human--proof that telling a small story can open something big.”
—Sundance Highlights (Adam Silverstein)
"Incredible moments that will make hearts of ice thaw...A story unlike any other...Bursts to life with energy and love."
—In Session Film
“The standing ovation wasn't just admiration for artistry; it was recognition of a family inviting an entire audience into their healing. TheyDream is an exploration of grief as a creative force. TheyDream captures something few documentaries attempt; the emotional labor behind turning pain into art.”
—Laughing Place
“TheyDream shares a heartfelt love letter to those who raised us...The acts of remembrance that Caballero captures through these stories may be specific to one family, but the emotional intimacy with which they share them has universal resonance.”
—POV magazine
“Visually inventive and exciting; There's so much to marvel at in any given frame...It dares us to try to remember and render our stories with such ferocious love.”
—RogerEbert.com
“This film captures something rare—what happens when a family chooses to face its pain together and turn it into art.”
— Elaine Del Valle
"A poignant portrait of remembering, healing, self-discovery and self-acceptance."
— Cartoon Brew
"The stories and anecdotes shared may have taken place in the U.S., but as a meditation of love, loss, and above all, family, Theydream is likely to be universally understood."
— The Hollywood Reporter
Producer & Press Quotes
William D. Caballero is a Puerto Rican-American, queer filmmaker whose work blends animation, audio interviews, and live action to uplift underrepresented voices. Born in the Brooklyn housing projects and raised in a trailer in his grandparent’s backyard in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Caballero has debuted animated documentary shorts at the 2017 and 2022 Sundance Film Festivals. A 2001 Gates Millennium Scholar, 2017 Sundance New Voices Lab Fellow, 2018 Guggenheim Fellow, 2022 Creative Capital Awardee, 2022 Sundance Documentary Humanities Fellow, and 2024 Webby Award winner for Best Art Direction, Caballero is recognized for formal innovation and deeply human storytelling. Follow @WilliamDCaballero
Elaine Del Valle is an award-winning director, writer, producer, and casting director. THEYDREAM marks her latest collaboration with William D. Caballero in a partnership spanning more than a decade and including the HBO series Gran’pa Knows Best and the Sundance shorts Victor & Isolina and Chilly & Milly. She wrote and directed the acclaimed narrative feature Brownsville Bred, which maintains a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Her pilot The System was purchased by CBS, and she earned an Artios Award nomination for casting Alma’s Way. Del Valle is a WarnerMedia 150 Artist, Alliance of Women Directors Fellow, and HBO Latinx Director Award recipient. Follow @ElaineDelValleDirector
Brad is a Rochester-based filmmaker, producer, CG generalist, and animator whose work amplifies the stories of often-overlooked communities, sparking dialogue around vital social issues. His collaborative approach and multi-disciplinary skill set have contributed to projects recognized with a 2022 Sundance Film Festival premiere and a 2024 Webby Award for Best Art Direction. Committed to storytelling that brings diverse voices to the forefront, Brad pairs his artistic practice with service to his community, volunteering as both a firefighter and EMT.
Erin Ploss-Campoamor is a filmmaker with over two decades of experience in documentary and narrative storytelling. She produced Las Marthas (PBS/Independent Lens), praised by The New York Times as “a striking alternative portrait of border-town life,” and Dark Mirror (IFC Films), called a “tour-de-force” by Variety. Her award-winning short La Americanita (The American Girl) examines identity, belonging, and personal history through a Cuban American lens. Follow @Eriniosa
