Speakers' Corner: You Have The Right To Remain Vocal

Synopsis

Speakers Corner: You Have The Right To Remain Vocal is a 1 hour documentary film that serves as a modern commentary on the origins and fragility of freedoms of speech and assembly.

Since 1872, people have gathered at Speakers Corner in Hyde Park to exercise their rights to free speech in all its forms. The filmmaker weaves interviews with park speakers, hecklers, local politicians, historians, linguists and sociologists involved in this modern phenomenon to create a powerful critique of the true nature of democracy in our society.

The film examines in detail a place where socialists, Islamic fundamentalists, labor politicians, historians, utopians, Zionists, white supremacists and Christian evangelicals all congregate weekly in a single small location. All are freely expressing and debating their views, there is no violence, and thousands of people show up to participate, every Sunday. This is the essence of Speakers Corner, a small area of Hyde Park, London, which was protected by a British Act of Parliament in 1872, to allow people complete freedom of speech in a public place. This is the only such bastion of free speech in the world and stands as a powerful metaphor for global democracy and our future.

Details

Year: 2009
Type of project: Features
Running time: 59 mins 15 secs
Format: DVCAM
Director: Gavin White
Producer: Gavin White
Co-Producer: Gavin White
Editor: Alexandra Carroll, Efrat Tal, Jeremy Levine, Zack Wilson
Director of Photography: Ben Cole, Chris Paul, David Marsh, Duncan Walsh, Liz Cole, Mel Spalton
Production Designer: Simon Beresford
Sound: Sarah Gibble
Composer: MOBY