Speeches That Shook the World - 2013

Speech-making is the art of persuasion. Well-honed rhetoric appeals not just to the mind, but to the heart and, deeper down, in the guts. Examining the speeches that provoked radical change, surprised pundits or shocked listeners, poet Simon Armitage dissects what makes a perfect speech. Simon gets the inside story behind some of the famous speeches of the modern age, talking to Tony Blair's speechwriter, to Earl Spencer on his controversial address at his sister's funeral and the woman who challenged the rioters in Hackney. We hear how Peter Tatchell confronted the BNP, Paul Boateng on how Enoch Powell's divisive speech personally affected him as a child, and Colonel Tim Collins, whose charge was to motivate his troops on the eve of the Iraq war. Simon discusses the nuts and bolts of speech writing with Vincent Franklin, aka the blue-sky thinking guru Stuart Pearson from The Thick of It, and gets tips on powerful delivery from actor Charles Dance.

60min
2013
U
Released
Trakio rating0.0/10
IMDB rating7.2/10

Cast

Simon Armitage profile pictureSimon ArmitageSelf - Presenter
Tony Blair profile pictureTony BlairSelf (archive footage)
George W. Bush profile pictureGeorge W. BushSelf (archive footage)
Winston Churchill profile pictureWinston ChurchillSelf (archive footage)
Martin Luther King Jr. profile pictureMartin Luther King Jr.Self (archive footage)
Barack Obama profile pictureBarack ObamaSelf (archive footage)
John F. Kennedy profile pictureJohn F. KennedySelf (archive footage)

About Speeches That Shook the World

Speeches That Shook the World Overview

Speech-making is the art of persuasion. Well-honed rhetoric appeals not just to the mind, but to the heart and, deeper down, in the guts. Examining the speeches that provoked radical change, surprised pundits or shocked listeners, poet Simon Armitage dissects what makes a perfect speech. Simon gets the inside story behind some of the famous speeches of the modern age, talking to Tony Blair's speechwriter, to Earl Spencer on his controversial address at his sister's funeral and the woman who challenged the rioters in Hackney. We hear how Peter Tatchell confronted the BNP, Paul Boateng on how Enoch Powell's divisive speech personally affected him as a child, and Colonel Tim Collins, whose charge was to motivate his troops on the eve of the Iraq war. Simon discusses the nuts and bolts of speech writing with Vincent Franklin, aka the blue-sky thinking guru Stuart Pearson from The Thick of It, and gets tips on powerful delivery from actor Charles Dance.

Age Rating: U
Runtime: 60min

Extra details

Original Title: Speeches That Shook the World
Original Language: English
Production Companies
Century Films Ltd