Speak

SPEAK is a dramatic, inspiring and moving documentary about the fear of public speaking and the quest to be the best; features Chris Matthews, Caite Upton and some of the world’s most celebrated public speakers.

Experience the trepidation, rippling anxiety, awkward silence and soaring highs of conquering one of humankind’s greatest fears – public speaking – when the inspirational documentary SPEAK makes its theatrical debut on August 17 from Tumbleweed Entertainment. Examining the hurdles everyday people face when it comes to speaking in public, SPEAK chronicles the wins and losses of six individuals, on and away from the stage, as they compete in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest finals for the coveted title of “World Champion of Public Speaking.”

In his stand-up routine, Jerry Seinfeld points out that according to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking and their number two fear is death, which means the average person who goes to a funeral would rather be in the casket than give the eulogy. For nearly two years, filmmakers Paul Galichia and Brian Weidling conducted interviews with hundreds of individuals to explore the physical symptoms and the emotional paralysis that public speaking can cause. On one extreme, speaking in public and social awkwardness hinders some from living productive lives. When presented with having to speak in public, even public figures experience painful and incoherent rambling. Then there is the crème of the crop – the people who have triumphed over their fear and now have an even bigger mission – to tell their stories.

“Every person has a voice and every person’s life story matters,” said Galichia. “If you tell that story and share it with an audience, you can change someone’s life forever,” Weidling commented.

Set against what has been referred to as the Olympics of oratory, SPEAK takes audiences on an intimate, emotional journey into the lives of an out-of-work father of six, an architect turned actor with incurable heart disease, a university professor and retiree who reconnected with his high school sweetheart after 50 years, a single mom living with Lupus – all battling for top honors in the tense, highly competitive Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking. What is at stake in this competition is more than just momentary success and a trophy; it is a life path.

SPEAK features interviews with former Toastmaster and “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, past Toastmasters World Champions and communications professors. Ann Hastings, Distinguished Toastmaster and former Board member for Toastmasters International, discusses overcoming her extreme shyness, which at one time prevented her from walking into a restaurant alone. Audiences also hear from Caite Upton, Miss South Carolina Teen USA, whose nonsensical “out of body” answer during a pageant gained her international notoriety, as well as sportscaster Brian Collins, whose ‘boom goes the dynamite’ on-air comment became the pop culture catch phrase for public speaking gaffes.

The six competitors who SPEAK focuses on were carefully chosen by filmmakers Weidling and Galichia, who put their experience as storytellers and documentary filmmakers to the test. Though the competitors have traits in common, their personalities and backgrounds are unique. They are full of great aspirations and willing to risk everything to become the next World Champion of Public Speaking. They have no less than four minutes, 30 seconds and no more than seven minutes, 30 seconds to prove why they deserve the title over somebody else. With their futures on the line, each takes the stage to speak. As they begin, you quickly realize that what you are about to experience is not a lecture - it’s a one of a kind, passionate performance that they hope, on that day, will be the best performance of their life.