By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Nyle DiMarco
Year: 2025
Running time: 100
Chris says: “I knew nothing about Gallaudet University, a liberal arts college in Washington DC for the deaf and hard of hearing; nor was I familiar with the 1988 eight-day, student-led protest against the appointment of a non-deaf president instead of two other deaf candidates. Going in cold to a story like this is obviously the most effective way to experience it but the retelling of this incident is so well-crafted that it has that rare potential to enlighten possibly even those who lived it first-hand.
“Co-directed by model/activist Nyle DiMarco, who is deaf and David Guggenheim (WAITING FOR SUPERMAN), who is not, DEAF PRESIDENT NOW! similarly feels like a bridge made to represent the deaf community and educate everyone else. While the filmmakers are privy to and make good use of an excess of archival footage of the protest (which occurred at a time when camcorders made such widespread documentation possible), it’s the modern-day interviews with the four student protest leaders that add context and resonance. Some may question the addition of voiceovers accompanying the subjects’ signing to the camera when subtitles are also present for a non-signing audience but as a concession to making a more accessible film for that very audience, it’s not a distraction; neither is the elaborate put-a-hearing-person-in-a-deaf-person’s-ears sound design. More important is how the film details this community coming together, especially viewed at an age far removed from an era in which said community was perceived much differently and often detrimentally from the outside.
“This is the rare feel-good documentary that’s genuinely inspiring without coming off as cloying while also being informative and entertaining. I don’t often give films 5 cats but by successfully achieving what it sets out to do and also through the sheer goodwill it exudes, this one earns it.
“(IFF Boston 2025 film #6: will stream on Apple TV+ beginning May 16.)”
Aaron responds: “Totally agree, Chris! My favorite of the fest and an easy 5-cat decision!”
Vicki responds: “Great review! It was one of my favorites too!”