“Speak” is directed by Jennifer Teixeira and Guy Mossman. It is the kind of documentary that one can easily imagine will be turned into a drama in the future. The film has a linear, easy-to-understand story, lively and sympathetic heroes, and a format that feels like a sports movie, depicting the triumph and disappointment of competition. A year in the lives of five American teenagers as they prepare and perform to win a national speech competition, “Speak Up.” It’s so exciting and audience friendly, it’s like the real-life equivalent of ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ or ‘A League of Their Own’.
The five speakers are juniors and seniors in high schools across several U.S. states. Esther, the daughter of a pastor of Nigerian descent, has won this national competition twice. Nour, from Texas, gently falls in love while caring for her special needs brother. Sam is a geeky kid in Minnesota who describes himself as “fierce” while trying to live openly in a place that may not be ready to fully accept him. Noah is autistic and is grieving the recent death of his mother by suicide. Finally, the charismatic Mafaz is a TikTok user with a large following loyal to her Sudanese Islamic heritage and wears a hijab while making videos mocking ridiculous high school customs.
As the audience gets to know these kids, they discover how passionate they are about the state of the world. Naturally, all of them are clear, which is the skill they need most to succeed in this endeavor. The topics they choose to write about are hot-button political and social issues. They criticize religious and political leaders for their bad faith attitudes and their reverence for a world long gone and whose norms and rules do not fit their progressive ideals.
The contestants bring their experiences into their speech, discussing people’s right to choose when and how they die and how society constantly uses humiliation as a tactic for complacency. Their coaches and teachers speak of them as leaders of change who will make the future better for everyone. The filmmakers portray them in a straightforward, uninhibited way that makes the audience quickly believe in what these kids are standing for — even if it all seems too idealistic and optimistic.
The narrative drama comes from the pressures of competition. These teens are hard workers above all else. They are shown practicing over and over again to perfect their speeches. Even if they are divided by geography, they are familiar with each other, because they keep meeting in the same competitions. These five are not friendly, but they respect each other’s talent.
Their stories are provided with more context as the films show them with their families and coaches, offering some snippets of joyful teenage lives with friends, siblings, and romance. Filmmakers do not avoid the pressures of this tax competition. Difficult conversations happen, where not everyone can win, and their results show, too. However, he spoke. He mostly wants to show the positive side: tears of joy from a proud coach, hugs and kisses from moms, and the satisfaction that comes from knowing how much these kids excel at what they do.
Relying on traditional “speech” methods. It’s not a particularly innovative addition to the documentary genre, but it knows exactly how to showcase its protagonists and arouse sympathy for them. Teixeira and Mossman make their narrative propulsive, playing out like a real race with unknown outcomes. Thus, viewers find themselves invested in it, identifying with the heroes and rooting for them indirectly. Some may even develop biases and favorites. Meanwhile, the filmmakers remain balanced, at least in terms of timing for each of the five contestants. Excerpts of the words appear in the film. In peak moments, some are given time to really arrive and tell their full message. By then, the audience may want to stand up and cheer.