Deaf President Now!

My wife and I recently watched Deaf President Now (2025) on Apple TV. The documentary tells the powerful story of Gallaudet University-the only deaf college in the world-located in northeast Washington, DC (just down the street from our house). In 1988, the school was at a crossroads when it announced a new president. Despite having two qualified deaf candidates, the board chose a hearing individual who couldn't sign and had no real understanding of deaf culture. Founded 124 years earlier by Abraham Lincoln, Gallaudet had never had a deaf president-and the students decided it was time for that to change. What followed was a peaceful yet powerful protest that shut down the campus and gained national attention.

The film is co-created by Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth), and it's a beautifully crafted, deeply moving documentary. It felt especially personal and unique to me, given how close the college is to home. The DC backdrop is subtle, but for local residents, it resonates.

The heart of the story lies in its student leaders-how each one brought their unique skills and perspectives to organize and unify their community. As the film dives into their individual backgrounds, you get a real sense of their family histories, struggles, and determination to break barriers that others like them never had the chance to. You could feel the years of dismissal, marginalization, and silence finally boiling over. When a president with no connection to the deaf community was appointed, it was the final spark-and they weren't going to stand for it.

One moment in particular brought tears to my eyes: a televised interview where one of the students, initially overwhelmed and outnumbered, found the courage to speak out and reclaim his voice. It was a clear turning point, and you could feel the shift in confidence and power.

Another standout was the story of a cheerleader who used her organizational skills and energy to unify the protestors and give them one cohesive voice. The creativity and ingenuity on display-from strategy to execution-was as impressive as the outcome.

In conclusion, Deaf President Now is an outstanding documentary about triumph, unity, and the power of being heard, even without speaking. I would score it a 9/10 and strongly recommend it.

This documentary is incredible !!! There were no iPhones back then, and yet they still found other ways to communicate. Even tho, I am deaf, I heard about this protest. I was not there and I was in my college in different state at the same time. This documentary showed much more activities than I thought. I was like "Wow". I wish I could be there at Gally to support them wholeheartedly. Good for them !!! So brave and I'm glad they stayed with the demands. They refused to give up. They made it without any violence. Congratulations to everyone involved. Very impressive !!! Truly !!! Also, I was impressed with all the videos and pictures they kept over the years. I'm sure there are more. I wish this documentary showed a bit more of those activities and interviews. I'm very satisfied with this documentary. It's the best documentary I ever watched. Maybe Part two in the future ?

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.

Deaf President Now tells the story of a historic moment in the Deaf community's struggle for representation - and it does so in a powerful way. The protests depicted were real, organized and effective. The film clearly shows why so many Deaf students were frustrated and how they had tried, for many years, to make change through traditional methods - letters, meetings and respectful dialogue. It's easy to understand that their patience had run out.

However, I felt that parts of the film showed reactions that seemed overly angry. Visually, it borders on chaotic at times. While the anger is real and justified, I missed the quiet dignity that also exists deeply in Deaf culture. There are other ways to show strength - such as continuing to work, lead and build without shouting. I was reminded of the moment the Soviet flag was lowered for the last time in 1991 - a transition that happened without violence, with symbolism and gravity.

It's important to remember that the DPN protests came after many failed attempts to create change through respectful means. I respect that decision, but personally, I believe a more dignified strategy might have made an even deeper impact. The film is worth watching, but it also raises questions about how change happens - and which expressions build lasting respect.

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.