HBO has released the trailer for “We Are The Dream,” a documentary film chronicling students who, inspired by the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., compete in the annual Martin Luther King Oratorical Festival.
The title of the series comes from King’s infamous speech delivered in August 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The finals for the festival are held in February of each year, which is also National Black History Month.
“We Are The Dream” premieres on Feb. 18, 2020.
Participants of all races are featured in the trailer, delivering inspirational messages like, “We fight today, we fight tomorrow, but that doesn’t stop our sorry” and “it’s time to stand up to hate.” The festival allows for both individual and group performances.
A description of the film is below:
Every year in Oakland, CA, hundreds of pre-K through 12th-grade students compete in the Martin Luther King Oratorical Festival, performing a mix of published and original poetry and speeches. This documentary chronicles the months leading up to the 40th annual festival, as schools across the city send their top-placing students to compete. It is a portrait of passionate young people raising their voices about issues they care about – social justice, immigration and more – and of a community that celebrates them.
“We Are The Dream” is directed and produced by Amy Schatz; produced by Diane Kolyer; executive produced by Mahershala Ali, his wife Amatus Sami-Karim, Mimi Valdés and Julie Anderson.
You can watch the trailer above and learn more about the Martin Luther King Oratorical Festival here.
