Brian Friedman for Variety
Legend will join Angelina Jolie as an executive producer of the documentary.
John Legend will narrate We Dare to Dream, a documentary about the refugee Olympic team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Legend will write, compose and record “Don’t Need to Sleep,” an original song for the documentary, which opens theatrically on October 20 at New York’s IFC Center.
Legend, along with his Get Lifted Film co-founders Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius, will executive produce the project along with Angelina Jolie.
“I am honored to write an original song for We Dare to Dream,” says Legend. “Waad Al-Kateeb has created an important film, and I hope No Sleep will do justice to the documentary and its unusual subjects.”
We Dare to Dream is the second feature-length documentary film directed by Waad Al-Katib. In her first film, For Sama, which was nominated for an Oscar, the Syrian director used a camera to document her daily life during the siege of Aleppo. We Dare to Dream is based on Al-Kateeb’s personal story as a writer coming to terms with her place in the world after realizing she could never return home to Aleppo.
Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia produced the self-distributed film We Dare to Dream, which will be an Oscar contender.
“I am honored to have John Legend join our film and mission to support the global refugee community,” says Al-Kateeb. “His music is a gift to all of us who have worked to bring this story to the world, so that people can understand the lived experiences of people like me, who cannot return home, but are fighting to rebuild their lives, contribute to peace and participate fully in society. We do this work, waiting for the day when we can safely return to our homeland.”
Gebbia produced We Dare to Dream alongside Violet Films’ Joanna Natasegara (Virunga), Abigail Anketell-Jones (Edge of Democracy), and Bryn Muser and Katherine Everett of XTR.
Legend wrote “Don’t Need to Sleep” with Oak Felder and Justin Tranter.