Film Brief:

A Whisper to a Roar tells the heroic stories of courageous democracy activists in five countries around the world – Egypt, Malaysia, Ukraine, Venezuela and Zimbabwe – who risk it all to bring freedom to their people. From student leaders to prime ministers and heads of state, these activists share their compelling personal stories of struggle, past and present, with their countries’ oppressive regimes. Shot over three years and finalized in July 2012 by award-winning filmmaker, Ben Moses, the film was inspired by the work of Stanford University’s Larry Diamond, author of “The Spirit of Democracy” and Director of Stanford University’s Center for Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law.  The film was made possible by Prince Moulay Hicham of Morocco, a renowned public intellectual and democracy advocate, particularly in regards to the Middle East, and his Hicham Alaoui Foundation.

Reviews:

“The film is not only a riveting documentary, but also offers inspiration to people everywhere who seek to make governments accountable to the citizens they serve.  The stories in “A Whisper to a Roar” demonstrate that democracy is a product of tremendous sacrifice, and we are all responsible for securing its promise for future generations.”
– Hillary Rodham Clinton

“This deft digest from the director Ben Moses is by turns shocking and inspiring…”

“In the case of the new documentary A Whisper to a Roar, democracy and the fight for freedom are not only moving, but also deeply personal, thought-provoking and inspiring.” 

“An expertly drawn primer on the soft dictatorships that constrained five different countries and the peaceful revolutions that sought to expunge them.”

“An impressive array of archival news footage, enlightening interviews with activists, politicos, academics and journalists….”

“…the film should be well distributed on disc and easily accessed online, allowing dissatisfied citizens anywhere to draw lessons and hope from these five inspiring stories.

 Academic Version of “A Whisper to a Roar”

The academic version is now in the SPICE (Stanford University’s Program on International and Cross Cultural Education) catalogue. It includes a 50-page teacher’s guide, an academic version of the feature length documentary, a 16-minute background/introduction video and a CD-ROM with all the handouts and classroom materials a teacher would need.