Deaf President Now!

A must-watch for everyone in the hearing and non-hearing world. It reminds us again that there is no such thing as a disability unless we treat it like one. In a world designed for birds, walking will be a disability if everything else is strictly expected to fly!! A moving documentary that has succeeded in putting together cinematography, meaning, direction, and emotions perfectly. As they rightly said, what's the point of education if they think the deaf are not capable of leading and running their university? More power to the real-life heroes! Hoping we hear and see more such real-life stories till it's an equal world for everyone.

Thanks to Apple TV for churning out great content, once again.

This is of the greatest documentaries I have ever seen and I believe it's going to go down as a modern classic! This is why I love documentary! It inspires you, educates you, makes you mad, makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It brings you on this intimate journey with people you wouldn't otherwise know existed in historical events (past or present) you wouldn't otherwise have heard of.

This film tells a story of a deaf university that elects a hearing president and the students fight to be heard and respected in a hearing world not designed with them in mind. It is such a roller coaster of ups and downs. The audience in my theatre was so immersed and invested, with quiet cheers, boos and awws. Zinser and Spilman truly come across as heartless people in this film making you root for the students of Gallaudet even more!

I hope to see this film win this years best documentary at the Oscars!

Greetings again from the darkness. It was 1988, and when this group of students proclaimed, "We will be heard!", it took on additional importance. The anger of these students represented 124 years of repression. Student protestors were from Gallaudet University in Washington, D. C. It's the only university for deaf students, and its history dates back to the time of Abraham Lincoln.

Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, 2006) collaborates with deaf actor-turned-filmmaker Nyle DiMarco to bring us the story of how the commitment to cause led the students, the University, and the nation towards real change. Although the film covers just one week, it effectively uses input and recollections from five key players. In other words, we get the 'then' (via archival footage) and the 'now' (modern day interviews).

Jerry was clearly the emotional leader ... the guy who fired up the crowd through his passion. His passion shows even today as his memories come flooding back. Greg was the Student Body President, and his more reserved personality likely made him a more acceptable spokesperson. Bridgetta, a former high school cheerleader, used her energy to generate the rhythm of the crowd, while Tim did not hold back in addressing Ms. Spillman, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees ... she doesn't even bother to learn American Sign Language (ASL). Her clueless and obstinate approach to defending the board's decision to bypass two qualified deaf candidates in order to name yet another hearing person as University President comes across as absurd and even a bit cruel.

The structure of the film is exceptional, blending the past with the present. Surprisingly, enough archival footage exists (even 37 years later) that we get a real feel for the commitment of the students and the manner in which the protests were carried out. It's especially telling to hear the four demands made by the students: name a deaf President, resignation from the Board by Spillman, transitioning half the Board to half deaf members, and no reprisals for the students. All quite reasonable. With Spillman having stated something along the lines of 'Deaf people are not ready to function in a hearing world", we are provided a blunt testimony to her beliefs and possibly, the general sense of society at that time.

I King Jordan, a school professor, is interviewed and explains his unusual trek during the week ... one that ended with his becoming President of the University (a position he held for many years). The film provides us with clips of Greg's key appearance on "Nightline" with Ted Koppel, and a heartbreaking story about "broken ears". Two years after this event, Congress passed the Americans with Disability Act - a stunningly short number of years ago. An odd segment is included with a quick overview of Alexander Graham Bell's desire to "fix the deaf", but we realize it's not the deaf that need fixing. The film leaves us feeling a great deal of respect for these leaders, and might leave you chanting, "Deaf Power!"

The film will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, May 16, 2025.

This was a truly great documentary - riveting, heartbreaking, inspirational, emotional, empowering, etc. There truly are not enough adjectives to describe the powerful story that the creators of this film have created.

One of the most impressive aspects of Deaf President Now! Is how much archival footage was available and how it was woven so perfectly with the present-day interviews of the five featured characters, along with some heart-wrenching film clips from the childhoods of the four students. The editing of all these elements helps create a movie that works on so many levels and delivers a powerful message about deafness that most hearing people like me need to know about.

I recommend this film 100%. Thanks again to Apple TV+ for bringing yet another great documentary to its streaming service. It's one more reason why it is, by far, my favourite of all the services I subscribe to.

It was revealing to get behind the scenes of the week-long protest to change the ingrained practice of appointing people capable of hearing yet not capable of understanding or communicating with the deaf student body and teachers they were supposed to be serving. I moved to the DC Metro in February of 1988, and this reminded of all of the talk about Gallaudet University. I hadn't heard of a school for the deaf before I moved here. I recall all of the changes that occurred to make communities more accessible when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, largely due to this event and the relentless passion of the students. I didn't know that that Gallaudet was a major catalyst that enabled the actualization of that law. An inspirational documentary. I will be watching it again and recommending it to loved ones and friends.