Speak.
**Seen at the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival
It’s important to look at “Speak.” not just as a documentary, but as almost a sports documentary. This is a film, after all, about competition, and we’re watching as competitors are preparing for their moment on the biggest stage afforded to them. That doesn’t mean that Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman’s film isn’t without issues in pacing and repetition, but I think the reframing of the film in those terms at least helps explain why the repetition, in particular, is baked into the film. Rather than on the field, however, the subjects of “Speak.” are looking to have their moment in the sun on the stage as they present prepared original oratory works.
In an age where social media- with its character limits- dictates the discussion, long-form commentary is often devalued. In fact, I would argue it’s more important than ever, as the truth of the matter is, one just cannot present their whole thoughts on a subject in the span of a tweet or post. Oratory and debate is an important medium for this, and it can also unlock something in a young person that they didn’t know they had in them. Throughout “Speak.,” we follow five high school students- from varying backgrounds- as they prepare for the annual national speech and debate competition. The first one we meet is Esther, who is the two-time winner at the start of the film; if she wins in 2024, she will be the first person to ever win three years in a row.
The filmmakers chose some great subjects for their film. Esther, the reigning champion, is engaging, passionate and a seasoned pro. Mfaz is a young Muslim woman who made the final six in 2023, and might be the biggest competition for Esther. Sam is a gay student who is quite animated in his presentation, but precise in how he is able to share his thoughts. Noah is one of the most compelling subjects in the film, an autistic kid whose oratory is inspired by the passing of his mother, but is also struggling with how he is able to process through that grief. And Noor is a small-town girl with a younger brother whose Down Syndrome has forced her to grow up faster than she should. All five students have something important to say about the politics of the day, of how we treat one another, and how our feelings about certain things are skewed. Seeing them fine tune their words and presentation over the months- and see how they succeed or fail- was indeed repetitious, but we come to care about these students as people so much that we still follow them to the end, and hope they continue to find their voice. As someone for whom it took a while to hone my own voice, I know it can take a while, but I’m not too worried about their ability to do so.
