Protest, Power, and the Right to Be Heard

Read Time:5 Minute, 7 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Deaf President Now!
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Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 40m
Director(s): Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim
Where to Watch: Available on Apple TV+ May 16, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: There’s a distinct kind of power that comes from reclaiming your story—and this documentary doesn’t just tell one, it redefines the terms. Centered on a protest that shook a university and echoed nationwide, DEAF PRESIDENT NOW! turns a lesser-known civil rights milestone into a vivid, visceral, and deeply personal experience. This is a character-driven reminder of what happens when a community stops waiting for permission to lead.

The heart of the narrative revolves around a flashpoint in 1988 when students at Gallaudet University refused to accept the appointment of a hearing president over qualified Deaf candidates. That decision, made by a board almost entirely composed of hearing individuals—none of whom signed—sparked a student-led uprising that lasted eight days and shifted the political climate beyond campus grounds. This grassroots movement didn’t just upend the university’s leadership—it helped push the national conversation forward. It became a major influence on the Americans with Disabilities Act that followed two years later.

What keeps DEAF PRESIDENT NOW! from being a by-the-numbers protest documentary is its clear focus on character, strategy, and lived experience. Rather than positioning its four primary subjects—Greg Hlibok, Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, and Tim Rarus—as untouchable leaders, the film allows space for their fears, disagreements, and evolving ideas. Their differences in background and personality are never smoothed down, and instead become a key part of the film’s tempo. These are real people confronting institutional failure in real time, learning as they go, and carrying the weight of a community.

Structurally, the film favors a nonlinear format that flips between past and present. Archival footage of rallies, campus sit-ins, and press interviews is intercut with present-day interviews. This jump in time isn’t disorienting—it’s illuminating. We see the emotional toll, the wisdom of hindsight, and how these events continue to shape those who lived them. There’s a sharp contrast between youthful urgency and the calm, sometimes conflicted clarity of looking back.

One of the most distinctive features is the sound design. Instead of sticking to conventional audio, it shifts frequently, blurring clarity, embracing silence, or muffling voices. These choices replicate the shifting sensory realities of the Deaf community, but they also challenge hearing audiences to navigate discomfort and unfamiliarity. It’s an immersive strategy that becomes central to the experience. These moments create empathy without pandering, drawing the viewer into a more intimate proximity to the stakes at hand.

Co-directors Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim bring complementary strengths. DiMarco, an activist and a Gallaudet alum, grounds the film in authenticity. Guggenheim brings structure, pacing, and polish. Together, their collaboration avoids the trap of over-sentimentality, aiming instead for clarity, conviction, and connection.

What further elevates the documentary is its emphasis on the quiet influences behind the public uprising. Viewers learn how their upbringing shaped the central figures—how families often encouraged assimilation into hearing culture, how speech therapy replaced sign language, and how generational pressure shaped their concept of identity.

Perhaps most compelling about DEAF PRESIDENT NOW! is how quickly things evolve. The protest may have lasted just over a week, but the speed at which frustration transformed into coordinated strategy is remarkable. The students didn’t just demand change—they engineered it. They shut down the campus, organized press conferences, crafted demands, and refused to settle for half-measures. Watching this group embrace collective action, even in the face of risk and backlash, is educational and emotionally charged.

For viewers unfamiliar with Deaf culture or the specifics of the Gallaudet protest, the film offers a respectful entry point. It doesn’t condescend or oversimplify but remains accessible, prioritizing clear communication and intentional storytelling. It speaks just as strongly to the audience inside the community as it does to those looking in from the outside.

By involving over 40 Deaf or hard-of-hearing cast, crew, and consultants, the production reflects the values it champions. It’s not just about telling a story—it’s about who speaks it, how it’s said, and who is invited to shape the final product. The filmmakers make space for inclusion not only in front of the camera but in every corner of the process.

There’s no shortage of documentaries about protest, but few embrace their subject matter as fully as this one does. It stands as a model for blending personal narrative with broader commentary, approaching justice stories without veering into moral simplicity, and innovating while staying grounded. It’s history, but paying attention to the voices still fighting for recognition today is also a challenge.

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