Duringeighttumultuousdaysin1988attheworld’sonlyDeafuniversity,fourstudentsmustfindawaytoleadanangrymob—andchangethecourseofhistory. aaa
WithtwoDeafcandidatesupfortheroleofpresident,GallaudetUniversitystudentssawthepossibilityoffinallybeingledbysomeonelikethem.Butwhentheboardoftrustees—composedoverwhelminglyofhearingindividuals—selectedthelonehearingcandidate,thegroundswellofstudentactivismthatfollowedforcedareckoningofmorethanacenturyofpaternalism.ToldprimarilythroughAmericanSignLanguage,DeafPresidentNow!createsanimmediacythroughimmersivearchivalfootageandexperientialuseofsilenceandsound.Gallaudetalumnus,model,actor,andDeafactivistNyleDiMarco(America’sNextTopModel)makeshisdirectorialdebutalongsideveteranfilmmakerDavisGuggenheim(Still:AMichaelJ.FoxMovie,2023SundanceFilmFestival)withthisrousingdocumentarythatdemonstratesthepowerofcollectiveactiontodemandmeaningfulchange,fosterself-determination,andrealizedreamslongdeferred.