Deaf activist, model, actor, producer, New York Times best selling author (Deaf Utopia: A Memoir—and a Love Letter to a Way of Life),and winner of America’s Next Top Model cycle 22 and Dancing with the Stars Nyle DiMarco has already cemented his icon status in Hollywood, and he continues to dream bigger by adding film director to his already enviable portfolio.
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Apple has acquired the rights to the documentary film Deaf President Now! and brought in Academy Award-nominated executive producer Nyle DiMarco (Audible, Deaf U) and Academy Award-winning executive producer Davis Guggenheim. DiMarco and Guggenheim will co-direct the film, making history by utilizing the “Deaf Point of View“—an “experimental narrative approach” that employs impressionistic visual photography and intricate sound design to immerse the audience in the Deaf experience.
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In 1988, Gallaudet University faced controversy when it decided to appoint a hearing president over highly capable and well-qualified Deaf candidates. In response, the students, led by the “Gallaudet Four” — Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Tim Rarus, and Greg Hlibok — organized an eight-day protest to challenge the university’s decision. By the end of the protest, the hearing president resigned, paving the way for Dr. I. King Jordan, the university’s beloved and respected dean, to assume the presidency. This marked a historic moment as Dr. Jordan became the first Deaf president of Gallaudet University.
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Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco has worked on another show centered around the students of Gallaudet University called Deaf U—a reality television program on Netflix where DiMarco aimed to showcase the diverse stories of members of the Deaf community and their families. He was also involved in the short documentary Audible, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 2022.
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Deaf President Now! will mark DiMarco’s directorial debut together with Guggenheim. Di Marco talks about his involvement in the film and what he wants to bring forth about advocating for the deaf community through this film documentary:
“For far too long, the disabilities stories that have shaped the United States have been conspicuously absent from the history we tell. This film not only preserves a pivotal moment in civil rights history but also celebrates the resilience of my Deaf community, whose triumphs deserve to be recognized, celebrated and remembered.”
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The documentary features exclusive interviews with the Gallaudet Four and the university’s first Deaf president, Dr. I. King Jordan. The film is meticulously crafted, with Deaf lens producer Wayne Betts Jr. brought in to realize DiMarco’s “Visual Noise” vision.
Betts worked closely with Guggenheim and DiMarco to ensure the visual elements authentically represent the Deaf experience. In an interview with Apple, DiMarco emphasized that his top priority was ensuring the portrayal and interpretation of the film’s predominant language, American Sign Language (ASL), was handled with utmost care in every frame.
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The film is not only inclusive on-screen, but also behind-the-scenes. According to Apple, the production will include over 40 Hard of Hearing subjects, cast members, and crew members. Hopefully, the new documentary will be a step forward for the entire Deaf community, especially those in the creative industry.
The film will be premiering at the Sundance Festival in 2025 and will be streaming on Apple TV+ also in 2025.
Source: Apple