Deaf President Now! tells the true story of one of the most important civil rights movements in history, that many of us have never been taught. In 1988, protests erupted for 8 days straight at the world’s only Deaf university, as they elected a new president. Four students worked together to lead a revolution and change the course of history.
The documentary, which premieres on Apple TV+ on May 16, was co-directed by Davis Guggenheim and Nyle DiMarco, an out, Deaf model, actor, and writer. DiMarco joined GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos for a conversation about the film.
DiMarco talks about his first time hearing the story of Deaf President Now! “I am very lucky that I come from a deaf family. I’m the 4th generation. Everyone in my family’s deaf. My brothers, my parents, grandparents, even my great grandparents. And I remember when I was 7 years old, my mom recounting the story of Deaf President Now, one of the most important civil rights movements in history, and as she described it,” he began.
“It was in relation to a lot that was happening around the U.S. at that time with deaf schools, this isn’t really mainstream knowledge to most people, but this is something that’s passed down generation to generation within deaf families as well as deaf schools,” he explained. “I remember even at 7 years old, I couldn’t understand. I remember saying, ‘Wait a minute, there’s a deaf college and they’ve never had a deaf president?’ That just blew my mind!” He shared that this history was taught regularly in deaf schools, but most people were never exposed to it.
He spoke about why this story of resistance is so important, especially now. “A lot of us right now, not just in the U.S. but around the world, are feeling that protest is almost pointless. I think there’s a big question about whether or not protest leads to change of any real impact. As much as we see protests popping up all over, I think a lot of times we allow our disagreements and our differences of opinion to really polarize us when we should be prioritizing working together in spite of those things.”
He continued, “I would hope that this would re-energize our community and really remind audiences of the power of collective action. Obviously the four student leaders you see in the beginning did not get along perfectly. They had differences of opinions and different priorities, but they were able to prioritize that. I would hope that that would serve as a blueprint for audiences when they’re interested in making change and remind them that change is possible.”
DiMarco shared why it was so special to get to be at the forefront of this project, “We wanted this project to be deaf led. We wanted to pay homage to the theme of Gallaudet University and to Deaf President Now, and this story means so much to me as well as to the larger community, because we can’t allow hearing people to continue to co-opt and tell our stories.”
With this being his first time directing, DiMarco was honored to get to work with someone as experienced as Davis Guggenheim. He shared, “It was a very collaborative process, and I was very blessed to be able to learn so much as a new director, and to figure out how to tell a story in a way that is something that is digestible for an audience who’s entering into this new world. We were throwing a lot of information at them, and I think we found a really great way to navigate it. We decided to focus on the four student leaders’ tight lens simply because of those demands.”
DiMarco plans to continue his career as a director, saying, “I really enjoyed the experience of being able to work behind the camera as a director and a producer. I greatly enjoy it because I like having control over how a story is told, just using my own lived experience as a deaf person and the cultural knowledge that I carry with me.”
He continued, “Growing up, I saw many deaf characters portrayed in media and film. Their storylines were always lacking authenticity. My job now and my obligation is to really make a shift in that and change that, as well as to bring folks from my community behind the lens, so that we eventually have our own deaf team that we’re able to produce content from and with this could very well be the next new chapter in my career.”
To close, he offered some words of support to anyone in the LGBTQ community and beyond who may feel like their stories are being forgotten. “I always say, even though you think you’re being forgotten, so many of us forget that we have a story to tell. It’s really important to use your voice and to speak up and continue sharing your experience. I think you find your own community by speaking up, and those people tend to get in line and really back you up.” He said, “I’m familiar with the feeling of being alone, but I think the key to not feeling that is to put yourself out there and share who you are. And to never allow a society that expects you to assimilate and wants to oppress you, keep you from doing that.”
Deaf President Now! drops tomorrow, May 16th on Apple TV+!
