Speeches That Shook the World (2013): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2013, Speeches That Shook the World is a history and documentary film, running about 60 minutes.

What it’s about. 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.

Who’s in it. Speeches That Shook the World stars Simon Armitage as Self - Presenter, Tony Blair as Self (archive footage), George W. Bush as Self (archive footage) and Winston Churchill as Self (archive footage), among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Speeches That Shook the World page.

If you liked it. Fans of Speeches That Shook the World tend to enjoy Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge and Green Book.