Preceding Dream Touch Believe is Honour of the Paintbrush, a short from presumably first time filmmaker Louise Thomas, a Cree woman. She’s in front of the camera, saying something along the lines “I’m thankful for everything my husband gave to me”. Her husband is Roy, one of the most influential painters from the Anishnaabe nation. His passing in 2004 inadvertently puts Louise, this time a single mother and widow, in a bind, especially concerning finances. Nonetheless, Thomas’ simple film making here is earnest and emotionally effective, telling the story of resilience without any unneeded frills.

Pairing Paintbrush with Jenna Naranjo Winters’ documentary makes sense as both are about artists and beautiful family relationships. A letter comes to the Naranjo family, informing them about their son Michael, helping fight the US-Vietnam war. That news is that Michael lost his eyesight and the ability to use most of his fingers, but despite this, he uses his new abilities to create. Dream Touch Believe, then, tells the story of how Naranjo became an independent adult and started sculpting. He achieves a lot in his life, and he uses hurdles like lack of access in American museums to help fellow blind people.

Dream Touch Believe is a documentary deserving of a bigger viewership despite some stylistic decisions that hold it back even if a little bit. The interview segments, in particular, feel like they should be flowing better, especially since Winters is Naranjo’s daughter. Regardless, Naranjo’s story is an inherently compelling one and Winters tells it well, especially the animation segments depicting dreams. The documentary can make people see art in a different, enlightening way. Also, there’s a sequence I’ll call the Rashomon Kiss and the way he tells it and how his wife tells it can warm even the most cynical viewers.