What do Oprah, Josh Gad, and judge Ketanji Brown Jackson have in common? The answer to this historic audience question is that they both competed in the National Speech and Debate Tournament. Since its inception in 1931, the world's largest academic competition has brought together thousands upon thousands of middle and high school students to debate current affairs. However, the key lies in the stories each contestant brings, the unique and personal anecdotes that imbue each speech with a humanity that is often lost beneath generic newspaper headlines.
In "Speak," directors Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman follow five of these individuals on their journey to the championship—five very different American teenagers who deal with this pressure and their own desires and needs over the course of a year. Sudanese-born Mfaz Mohamed Ali (17) practices public speaking daily through TikTok posts for her 3.3 million followers. “Passion is key in public speaking,” Mfaz asserts, and it resonates in every word of her heartfelt presentation, whether she’s sharing an emotional account of the shame she’s felt or advocating for more compassionate portrayal of Muslims in today’s media.
Directors: Jennifer Tiexiera, Guy Mossman
Stars: Esther, MfazNoah
Another promising competitor, Esther Oyetunji (17), has already won twice, so all eyes are on this American daughter of a Nigerian pastor who could make history if she wins a third time. This year, she focuses on how politicians use “protecting children” rhetoric to maintain power while ignoring real issues affecting American youth, such as school shootings. Esther's coach claims that her "superpower" is "genuine compassion and love for what she says," which, while true, also applies to the rest of us following along, including Noor Garoui (17), who stands up for her disabled younger brother; Sam Schaefer (16), who fights against the white, heterosexual, cis majority that uses nostalgia as a weapon; and Noah Chao-Detiveaux (17), who demands dignity for people who commit suicide like his mother a few years earlier.
All are poignant subjects in their own way, and each moves us with great vigor, whether through tears or righteous anger. But Tiexiera and Mossman don't rely on this alone to make "Speak" a success. Otherwise, the film would be a simple series of speeches, like sitting in the audience at an NSDA tournament. Instead, the pair gets closer to its five protagonists, balancing the importance of their speeches and the social issues they face with moments of levity and everyday life in their homes.
Whether raising pigs, going to church, or choosing their outfit for a Taylor Swift concert, the children at the center of this documentary are still children, and "Speak" doesn't shy away from this or gloss over its importance. In fact, it's in these moments that the film often works best, juxtaposing the impressive and mature nature of each of their speeches with the mundanity of their adolescent realities. Remember, no matter how grown-up they may sound in front of the judges, these competitors are also kids who throw tantrums at prom or yell at their parents when the tournament gets too intense.
Documentaries like this often rely on the likeability of their subjects, and "Speak" largely achieves that, though this balance between the everyday and the anything-but-ordinary pressure they face sometimes doesn't quite gel. The stakes are high, including a vital campaign (“If we don’t do well here, we can no longer defend our interests”), as well as the scholarships they need to secure their future, so it’s easy to understand why they’re so driven, even enlisting coaches to improve their oratorical skills. In that sense, “Speak” recalls sports documentaries like “Hoop Dreams,” as well as competition features like the similar classic documentary “Spellbound.” “If we define sport as competition, then public speaking is the ultimate sport,” it’s said at one point; however, the film itself doesn’t quite capture how to effectively integrate that competitive storyline without losing momentum.
However, that message still shines through thanks to the teens themselves, who are intriguing in their own way. Arguably, each could have been the main focus of a documentary without alternating between the others, which speaks to the charisma that has helped them come so far. This is also almost detrimental to the film, as just when you want to know more about one of them, that focus shifts again, sometimes resulting in a somewhat superficial experience. However, the advantage of this approach is how bonds begin to form between each subject, as they are all united by the desire to speak out and make a difference by giving voice to their own experiences of marginalization and, by extension, to other similar people. Public speaking, even when it is so competitive and cutthroat, provides them with a space of belonging, a place where teens can feel included and see their ideas affirmed in a more adult and respected space.
What do Oprah, Josh Gad, and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson have in common? The answer to this historical pub question is that each of them competed in the National Speech and Debate Tournament. Since its founding in 1931, the world's largest academic competition has brought together thousands upon thousands of middle and high school students to debate current affairs. However, the key lies in the stories each contestant brings to the table, the unique and personal anecdotes that imbue each speech with a humanity often lost beneath generic newspaper headlines.
In "Speak," directors Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman follow five of these individuals on their journey to the championship: five radically different American teenagers who deal with this pressure and their own desires and needs over the course of a year. Sudanese-born Mfaz Mohamed Ali (17) practices public speaking daily, naturally, through TikTok posts for his 3.3 million followers. “Passion is key in public speaking,” says Mfaz, and that rings true in every word of her heartfelt speech, whether she’s sharing a heartfelt account of the shame she’s felt or advocating for more compassionate portrayal of Muslims in today’s media.
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