LAUREL, Mississippi (WDAM) – A museum in Laurel is taking a new look at the D-Day landings with the documentary screening “The Girl Who Carried Freedom.”

Rather than focusing on military tactics, The Girl Who Wore Freedom recounts the experiences of the French men and women who were liberated during the landings on June 6, 1944.

The Veterans Memorial Museum in Laurel will host a special screening of the documentary on Friday, September 6, at 6:30 p.m.

Director Christian Taylor said she came up with the idea for “The Girl Who Wore Freedom” after a chance encounter at an annual D-Day celebration.

“In my first moments in Normandy, I felt like I had been thrown out of a time machine,” she said. “I was surrounded by Wily’s Jeeps, GIs and American flags. Songs like Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy were playing in the background. It was the most patriotic event I have ever experienced…. It was surreal and incredibly powerful….

“My son was approached by a French woman and asked for a photograph… I soon realized that I was face to face with history itself – Dany Patrix Boucherie, ‘The Girl Who Carried Freedom’.”

Boucherie is one of the main narrators in Taylor’s documentary. She and others describe her family’s experiences under Nazi occupation and how the events of D-Day changed everything.

The documentary also tells stories of American veterans, focusing on the relationships they built with the people they met in the summer of 1944 – relationships that, according to Taylor, are still alive and well today.

“It was this deep hospitality and love that the French showed to the Americans that fascinated me,” Taylor said. “It was overwhelming. I asked myself: Why? Where did this come from? How did it start?”

During her research, Taylor concluded that the relationship between America and Normandy was a “love story.”

“The people of Normandy helped bury thousands of these young men – young men who had died to free them,” she explained. “It was these acts of sacrifice and kindness that made the French fall in love, a passionate love.”

Ultimately, Taylor said, she hopes “The Girl Who Wore Freedom” reminds viewers of who America is at its best and the positive influence Americans can have on future generations.

The Veterans Memorial Museum asks guests to register for the event in advance so they can reserve appropriate seating. You can send your registration to [email protected].

For more information about The Girl Who Wore Freedom, visit thegirlwhoworefreedom.com/press/.

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