Official Trailer for ‘Deaf President Now!’ Inspiring Documentary Film
by Alex Billington
May 7, 2025
Source: YouTube
“We couldn’t accept a leader who didn’t understand our world.” This is the entirely true, unfiltered story of the greatest civil rights movement most people have never heard of. Apple TV has unveiled the first trailer for the documentary titled Deaf President Now!, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival to tons of acclaim. In 1988, Deaf students at the historic Gallaudet University (the oldest Deaf school in the world at 161 years – located in Washington D.C.) protested for 8 days until the school appointed its first Deaf president, Dr. I. King Jordan, marking a pivotal moment for disability rights and representation. This is their story. It’s extraordinary! I was blown away by this film! Deaf President Now! has exclusive interviews with the five key figures of the movement, including the Gallaudet Four — Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Tim Rarus, Greg Hlibok — alongside I. King Jordan, as well as archival and scripted elements. The film also incorporates an experimental narrative approach called Deaf Point of View, using impressionistic visual photography and intricate sound design to thrust the audience into the Deaf experience. I’m quoted in this trailer from my Sundance review. I have been telling everyone to see this film! It’s profoundly inspiring.
Here’s the official trailer for DiMarco & Guggenheim’s doc Deaf President Now!, from YouTube:
Deaf President Now! recounts the 8 days of historic protests held at Gallaudet University in 1988 after the school’s board of trustees appointed a hearing president over several very qualified Deaf candidates. After a week of rallies, boycotts and protests, the students of Gallaudet University triumph as the hearing president resigns & beloved dean Dr. I. King Jordan becomes the university’s first Deaf president. The protests marked a pivotal moment in civil rights history, with an impact that extended well beyond the Gallaudet campus, and paved the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Deaf President Now! is co-directed by filmmakers Nyle DiMarco (a Deaf actor making his feature directorial debut) & Davis Guggenheim (acclaimed doc director of An Inconvenient Truth, Gracie, It Might Get Loud, Waiting for Superman, From the Sky Down, He Named Me Malala, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie previously and other docs). Produced by Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim, Michael Harte, Jonathan King, Amanda Rohlke. This initially premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year (read our review). Apple will debut the Deaf President Now! doc streaming on Apple TV+ starting May 16th, 2025 coming soon. A must see.
 |
