(***)

What does teenager Esther Oyetunji have in common with Oprah Winfrey, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Brad Pitt? They all were part of debate clubs. What does Oyetunji have that they don’t have? Two concurrent, Original Oratory championships at the National Speech & Debate Association’s (NSDA) competition. And she’s gunning for a third!

This very illuminating and inspirational documentary follows Esther and other competitors as they vie for the 2024 NSDA awards. On view are the ex-champion and four other kids from different walks of life, vying for a win. Their energy is as intense as a football, baseball or basketball team’s grind as they work to make the playoffs. Only these are the nerdy kids who are most often ignored at high schools. The ones who often go on to achieve greatness. Like poet/orator Amanda Gorman who recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Biden’s 2021 Inauguration. She was prepared for her moment on the international stage by her training as an orator. Watch these kids follow her path to greatness. This is their travelogue, their handbook.

Mfaz is a Muslim of Sudanese roots. She’s torn as she fluctuates between mainstream topics and issues that affect her culture, like the plight of Palestinians, as she chooses themes for her speeches. Sam, a white gay teen who is sorting out what it means to be queer in Minnesota, is in the top echelon of contestants. Noah, a boy on the autism spectrum, tries to put his mother’s death into perspective within his lectures. Noor, of Native America heritage, may be the least confident, but when she’s on she wins. For Oyetunji, whose Nigerian parents somehow manage not to be helicopter parents, training for a threepeat win is tough. It’s never been done before and requires her full attention.  

Directors Jennifer Tiexiera and Guy Mossman, with their near invisible camera, track the top-ranked orators as they practice, compete, channel their disappointments and make their way to the top. Their collective ambitions are engaging for 1h 44m solid. Practices. Rehearsals. Coaching. The stories behind each highschooler defies stereotypes about race, gender and sexual orientation. They’re immigrants, children of immigrants. Kids with single parents or deceased parents. Their common denominator is an irrepressible desire to speak their truths, on important issues—from the right to die, to caring for kids with down syndrome—and make a lasting impression. Particularly on the judges. 

The kids’ wisdom seems far beyond their ages: “We live in a country with a wealth of humiliation and a poverty of dignity.” They’re coached by parents whose philosophies on life have takeaways audiences will find instructional, enlightening and sometimes spiritual. Noor’s mom guides her students using Native American imagery and perceptions: “Horses, goats, sheep and cows … when they sense a storm, they run away from the storm, so the storm follows them. Buffalos run into the storm. That’s what we have to do.”

Watching the attentive parents and teachers as they shepherd offspring and students is a refreshing reminder of the importance of nurturing. Watching the young orators blossom is a reminder that the youth bring so much to a very imperfect world. As these individuals train and face challenges, they channel it all into valuable learning experiences that propel them forward. Impressionable tweens and teens should witness the group’s journeys and learn that they can succeed, too. This movie belongs in classrooms. 

The standard documentary technique works just fine. The lively subjects and their dreams hold attention from start to finish. Compelling, thoughtful and full of life lessons. Enough drama for a feature film.  

Photos courtesy of the Sundance Film Institute. 

For more information about the Sundance Film Festival go to: https://festival.sundance.org

Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.