
Speak Like a Child(1998)
Speak Like a Child, the feature film debut of documentary director John Akomfrah, explores the intense friendship that evolves between three troubled teenagers growing up in an isolated children's home on the Northumbrian coast. The desolate beauty of the coastline is captured in stunning panoramas, while strong performances by the young cast help to create a lyrical and poignant drama.
Movie: Speak Like a Child
Top 10 Billed Cast
Ruby (Age 14)
Dorothy
Bernie
Katy
David
Betty
Freddy Banes

Speak Like a Child
HomePage
Overview
Speak Like a Child, the feature film debut of documentary director John Akomfrah, explores the intense friendship that evolves between three troubled teenagers growing up in an isolated children's home on the Northumbrian coast. The desolate beauty of the coastline is captured in stunning panoramas, while strong performances by the young cast help to create a lyrical and poignant drama.
Release Date
1998-09-04
Average
4
Rating:
2.0 startsTagline
Genres
Languages:
EnglishKeywords
Recommendations Movies

iHostage(nl)
When a gunman enters an Apple Store in the heart of Amsterdam, the police face a delicate challenge to resolve the standoff.

Thelma(en)
When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack(ja)
Godzilla has become a distant memory for Japan when the destruction of a US submarine raises alarms for Admiral Tachibana. His estranged daughter Yuri investigates the legend of the guardian monsters, who must rise to protect Japan against the vengeful spirits within Godzilla that seek to destroy both the nation and its people for the suffering they inflicted in the Pacific conflict.

Moana 2(en)
After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys alongside Maui and a new crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced.

Noryang: Deadly Sea(ko)
The Imjin War reaches its seventh year in December of 1598. Admiral Yi Sun-shin learns that the Wa invaders in Joseon are preparing for a swift withdrawal following the deathbed orders of their leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Determined to destroy the enemy once and for all, Admiral Yi leads an allied fleet of Joseon and Ming ships to mount a blockade and annihilate the Wa army. However, once Ming commander Chen Lin is bribed into lifting the blockade, Wa lord Shimazu Yoshihiro and his Satsuma army sail to the Wa army's rescue at Noryang Strait.

Under the Hawthorn Tree(zh)
The daughter of a right-winger, schoolgirl Jing Qiu is sent to the countryside for reeducation, and tasked to help write a textbook. There she meets Lao San, a young soldier with a bright future ahead. Despite the class divide and parental disapproval, romance blooms against turbulent times.

Midnight(ko)
A serial killer ruthlessly hunts down a deaf woman through the streets of South Korea after she witnesses his brutal crime.

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion(ja)
A strange meteor lands in Japan and unleashes hundreds of insect-like "Legion" creatures bent on colonizing the Earth. When the military fails to control the situation, Gamera shows up to deal with the ever-evolving space adversary. However the battle may result in Gamera losing his bond with both Asagi and humanity.

The Five Devils(fr)
8-year-old Vicky has a mysterious gift: she can recreate any scent she comes across, even that of her beloved mother Joanne. When her estranged aunt Julia suddenly returns to town, the invocation of her fragrance plunges the young girl back in time to unravel a past replete with family secrets.

The Goldman Case(fr)
A second trial begins in November 1975 against French left-wing revolutionary Pierre Goldman, accused of several armed robberies and the death of two chemists.

Rise(fr)
Elise thought she had the perfect life: an ideal boyfriend and a promising career as a ballet dancer. It all falls apart the day she catches him cheating on her with her stage backup; and after she suffers an injury on stage, it seems like she might not be able to dance ever again.

Black Dog(zh)
On the edge of the Gobi desert in Northwest China, Lang returns to his hometown after being released from jail. While working for the local dog patrol team to clear the town of stray dogs before the Olympic Games, he strikes up an unlikely connection with a black dog. These two lonely souls embark on a journey together.

Rodan(ja)
Mining engineer Shigeru investigates the disappearance and death of his fellow coworkers when prehistoric nymphs are discovered emerging from the mines. After an attack on the local village, Shigeru heads deeper into the mines only to make a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature. Soon a second monster appears as the two converge in Fukuoka.

Civil War(en)
In the near future, a group of war journalists attempt to survive while reporting the truth as the United States stands on the brink of civil war.

Passages(fr)
Tomas and Martin are a gay couple living in Paris whose marriage is thrown into crisis when Tomas impulsively begins a passionate affair with young schoolteacher Agathe. But when Martin begins an affair of his own, Tomas must confront life decisions he may be unprepared—or unwilling—to deal with.

The Scarecrow(en)
Two farmhands compete for the love of the farmer's daughter.

Vicious Fun(en)
Joel, a caustic 1980s film critic for a national horror magazine, finds himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no other choice, Joel attempts to blend in with his homicidal surroundings or risk becoming the next victim.

Saint Maud(en)
Having recently found God, self-effacing young nurse Maud arrives at a plush home to care for Amanda, a hedonistic dancer left frail from a chronic illness. When a chance encounter with a former colleague throws up hints of a dark past, it becomes clear there is more to sweet Maud than meets the eye.

Parthenope(it)
Parthenope, born in the sea near Naples in 1950, is beautiful, enigmatic, and intelligent. She is shamelessly courted by many. However, beauty comes at a cost.

Next Sohee(ko)
A female detective investigates the cause of a high school girl’s death and uncovers a disturbing truth. Coming to Cinemas on June 12, 2025 in the US & Canada.
Similar Movies

Flake(en)
Kevin returns home with a birthday surprise for his mother, Lisa, only to discover her lost in the mundane act of cooking. But something is terribly wrong—Lisa’s irritability, her forgetfulness, her unrecognizable gaze. What starts as a simple celebration spirals into a chilling revelation of a son witnessing his mother’s mental decline. Flake is an emotional exploration of the fragile nature of memory and the profound bond between mother and son.

White Fang(en)
Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him.

Water Drops on Burning Rocks(fr)
In 1970s Germany, Léopold, a 50-year-old businessman, picks up and seduces 20-year-old Franz, who swiftly moves into his apartment. The dynamic between them intensifies with the sudden arrival of their ex-girlfriends.

I Vitelloni(it)
Five young men dream of success as they drift lazily through life in a small Italian village. Fausto, the group's leader, is a womanizer; Riccardo craves fame; Alberto is a hopeless dreamer; Moraldo fantasizes about life in the city; and Leopoldo is an aspiring playwright. As Fausto chases a string of women, to the horror of his pregnant wife, the other four blunder their way from one uneventful experience to the next.

Hochzeit auf Immenhof(de)
The Immenhof has been closed by officials, awaiting auction. In the meantime, Angela has died, so Jochen is now a widower. Oma Jantzen and Angela's younger sisters Dick and Dalli live with him in the forester's house. In order to save the manor house, Dalli has started a "pony circus" with the village children in the barn, while Dick has given up hope of Ethelbert ever returning.

The Big Chill(en)
Seven old college friends gather for a weekend reunion after the funeral of one of their own.

Welcome to the Dollhouse(en)
An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with inattentive parents and bullies at school.

To See the Sea(cs)
As preteen, aspiring filmmaker Tomas trains his new camera’s lens on his own world, shocking family secrets around him come into sharp focus.

Under the Blaze(ur)
An upcoming hand-drawn animated film about a village boy who works in a brick kiln to support his family after his father's death.

Miss Beijo(pt)
An adaptation of the short story with the same name by Portuguese writer Lídia Jorge.

We Grown Now(en)
In 1992 Chicago, a story of two young legends in their own right begins. As wide-eyed and imaginative best friends Malik and Eric traverse the city, looking to escape the mundaneness of school and the hardships of growing up in public housing, their unbreakable bond is challenged when tragedy shakes their community just as they are learning to fly.

The Summer of Whales(ja)
Chuya, who spends his days in a local city without any purpose or dream, suddenly decides to go to Tokyo. His best friends: J, Gizmo, and Machida, from high school try to hold a big farewell party on the last day that Chuya spends locally, but Chuya remembers the past. It seems that he is clinging and hesitating to move. There, the three make a proposal for Chuya, but Yumiko, a longing senior who should be active as an entertainer in Tokyo, appears, and Chuya's heart shakes even more.

Reprise(no)
Two competitive friends, fueled by literary aspirations and youthful exuberance, endure the pangs of love, depression and burgeoning careers.

Our Meal for Tomorrow(ja)
A 7 year love story between Ryota Hayama and Koharu Uemura from their first date to eventual marriage. Ryota and Koharu are high school students. Ryota is indifferent to people and says very little. Koharu is not afraid of to speak her mind and she has a bright personality. Since a game of rice bag jump, they begin to date. They date at a fast-food restaurant, realize they love each other at a family restaurant and finally swear their love on a dining table with white rice.

The Ways We Love(es)
Mateo and Lucía are moving abroad. The day before leaving, Mateo reunites with his lifelong friend, Dionisio, to spend one last summer afternoon together. However, as their inevitable goodbye inches closer, Mateo begins to perceive a series of strange events. In particular, he begins to hear a goat's bleat…
Just.(en)
On the night of their secondary school graduation, Ben and Lily, former friends, have what could be their last conversation before they go their separate ways.

Christmas by Your Friends(da)
Mads' father’s company is too small for a proper Christmas tree party, so Mads decides to arrange his own for himself and his best friend. But arranging such a party is easier said than done. It involves theft, intrigue and deception. Can Mads overcome the difficulties, or will there be no Christmas tree party?

We Have Forever(fr)
A young man approaching his 20s can either work for his mother in her restaurant or carve his own path and join his friends in Montreal. Before making this decision, he encounters Sara and Léa, two enticing young women who may derail his plans of becoming the greatest chef in the world.

Xiao Lin(zh)
Every gay person goes through a process of discovering their own identity. Caught between their truest self and the family and societal pressure around them, which should a college student still in the middle of this process choose? Details