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Set in the cutthroat, boy-dominated world of high school debate, GIRL TALK tells the timely story of five girls on a diverse, top-ranked Massachusetts high school debate team. They are often talked over, under-represented and judged differently than their male counterparts, but each girl faces these challenges and shows us the value of speaking up and finding your true voice.
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About the Show
Set in the cutthroat, male-dominated world of high school debate, where tomorrow’s leaders are groomed, GIRL TALK tells the compelling and timely story of five girls on a top-ranked Massachusetts high school debate team as they strive to become the best debaters in the United States.
The Newton South Debate Team is one of the largest in the country, with a diverse roster of debaters; nearly half are girls and many are first generation Americans. Unlike most of their elite competitors, Newton South is only allotted a part-time volunteer parent coach, and the team must rely on one another to master the art of debate.
Shot over five years, GIRL TALK offers a front row seat to leadership in the making, as each year varsity members step up to become captains and bear the responsibility of training and inspiring the novices. The girls set out to find their particular voices — perfecting their speaking and research skills, while grappling with confidence issues, and learning to weather the realities of fierce competition. For every debater, one of the keys to success is finding the right debate partner, and together developing a winning strategy that will take them to the national finals. But, for the girl debaters, they must also learn to navigate the implicit and explicit gender biases rife in the world of debate. Stats reveal that a greater percentage of boys make it to the finals, and more boys win.
As we watch our five girls remain steadfast in their determination to overcome the odds, they remind us that equal rights and freedom of expression are worth fighting for, both within debate and beyond.
Hannah (left) and a fellow male high school student stand at the front of a class and practice for competitive debate.
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Jay (left) and Gil are high school students and stand in front of blue background to practice their arguments for competitive debate.
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Gaby and fellow students participate in a speech exercise by talking with pens in their mouths. They are preparing ahead of a competitive debate tournament.
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Hannah (background) and Bella sit at a school cafeteria table and reflect on their recent competitive debate round.
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A row of high school girls sit at a table practicing for competitive debate. Gaby is the second from the foreground
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Five high school students sit on a bench in the hallway in between rounds of competitive high school debate. In the center are two girls, Hannah (left) and Ellen who are looking on a laptop screen.
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Anika (right) and Jay (second from right) stand alongside their two opponents during a final round of a competitive debate competition.
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