Five top-ranked high school oratory students spend a year crafting spellbinding spoken word performances with the dream of winning one of the world's largest and most intense public speaking competitions.
Editing
Performance cuts that build like a panic attack—in the best way.
Sound
Every breath, stutter, and silence weaponized for maximum gut-punch.
Direction
Co-directors who clearly adore these kids without exploiting them.
Director
Jennifer Tiexiera
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'original oratory' circuit is a hidden pipeline to Ivy League admissions for working-class kids—this film accidentally exposes the system.
Director Jennifer Tiexiera spent three years embedded with competitors; footage of early drafts versus finals shows brutal revision processes most docs skip.
US
