Speak. follows five of the nation’s top teenage speech competitors, capturing the euphoria of victory and the devastation of defeat as they craft and perform original oratories over the course of a 9-month season. We follow Noor, Noah, Sam, Mfaz and Esther, the two-time reigning national champion in Oratory. Their dream is simple: To win the Super Bowl of public speaking, the NSDA Nationals. We witness them, their coaches and their parents as they fight to keep school speech programs alive amid budget cuts, book bans and censorship efforts that reach a fevered pitch during the 2024 election year. Speak. captures the passion, joy—and courage—of unforgettable teens using their voices to change hearts and minds. This film is the perfect antidote for these fraught times—intense, funny, and most of all, hopeful.
