Speak Easy
An ordinary day in the city. 11 young people engaged in one of their just as ordinary activities. Talking on the phone; talking as they always do about nothing special about boredom, being together (or not), ambition or the lack of it, sex, insecurity and the desire to have fun. Through the commonplace and the trivial they reveal what they normally only show each other. Young people who notice they are no longer children, older teenagers who realise that they are more or less on their own now and can no longer ignore the adult world. Even if it hurts. All this is casually shown in acted scene which nevertheless have a strong documentary character.
In Speak Easy there are no professional actors, instead there are simply young people from the streets of Vienna whose personalities influenced the final script. For some of them scenes were created immediately after the first casting. During the actual filming it was important to leave enough room for improvisation within the pre-determined scenes. The film searches for a truthful depiction of what they are and how they talk and is an atmospheric account of a moment which is almost as fleeting as a phone call. (Mirjam Unger)
Golden Spire 98, Jury's Decision about Speak Easy (Award)
San Francisco Golden Gate Awards Competition 1998: Golden Spire (Film&Video; Short Narrative)
In giving Speak Easy its top honor, the jury for the category stated:
Our Jury was very impressed with this film's engaging style, which is highly realistic and complemented the subject matter. The film poignantly presents how many young people's lives are filled with boredom, loneliness, confusion, and anger. We all were moved by how, in a world that seems arbitrary and without purpose, these young people manage to cope and find ways to connect with each other. We also appreciated how their search for identity and a place in the world speaks to all of us, regardless of age, culture, and nationality.
Speak Easy
1997
Austria
20 min