Apple TV+is bringing light to one of the greatest civil rights movements that has largely been left in the shadows withits new documentary,Deaf President Now!. A new trailer previews the firestorm that erupted in 1988 when the board of trustees at Gallaudet University, the world’s only college for the deaf, elected a controversial hearing president to oversee operations. Furious over the highly qualified deaf candidates who were passed over for the job, students rose up en masse to protest the decision in a watershed momentfor the Deaf communitythat would have ramifications far beyond the campus grounds. Packed with exclusive interviews with those involved and archival footage, the film premieres on May 16.
The footage opens on news reports that demonstrate the massive scale of the week-long protests under the Deaf President Now! movement. Seeing a woman who could hear sail over two deaf candidates, one of whom was already a beloved dean on campus, was a moment for the students to make themselves heard. To do that, however, they needed a plan to unite everyone and disrupt Gallaudet University, starting with triggering all the fire alarms before locking all the campus entrances. The Gallaudet Four — student leadersJerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Tim Rarus, andGreg Hlibok— recalled the monumental moment when the student body roared to life, as well as the pushback they faced from the police, the public, and even the adults in their lives, as they tried to push for real change. The four take center stage throughout the documentaryto illustrate what it was like on the ground while the protests were unfolding and why it was so importantthat they took a stand for their president.
Deaf President Now!isabout so much morethan an election at a college. For the students, it was important to oppose a college presidentwho didn’t understand their worldand show that they weren’t going to accept the words “You can’t” again. Their movement would be so successful that, not only would it lead to the board reversing the decision and naming the aforementioned dean,I. King Jordan, as the college’s first deaf president since its establishment in 1864, but it would carve a path for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. Jordan will also be featured heavily in the film to discuss the impact of his eventual election onthe greater history of civil rights.
‘Deaf President Now!’ Wants Viewers To Understand the Deaf Community’s Experience
Given that the Deaf President Now! movement was formed to instill more understanding in their leadership, the documentary also aims to create more understanding in its viewers through its presentation. The film utilizes an experimental narrative approach called Deaf Point of View, which uses “impressionistic visual photography and intricate sound design to thrust the audience into the Deaf experience.” AcclaimedAn Inconvenient TruthdirectorDavis Guggenheimteamed up with Deaf activist, Gallaudet graduate, and fan-favorite formerAmerica’s Next Top ModelcontestantNyle Dimarcoto helm the documentary in what marks the latter’s directorial debut. Critics have already heaped plenty of praise on their collaboration, earning it a perfect 100% score onRotten Tomatoesso far.
Deaf President Now!premieres on Apple TV+ on May 16. Check out the trailer in the player above.
