By Lynn Venhaus

Angry about being dismissed, ignored and treated differently, deaf students had enough after yet another example of prejudice, so 37 years ago, they rose up in unison and forced the hearing world to listen.

The documentary “Deaf President Now!” is a fascinating look back at a little-known civil rights movement that had lasting impact for people with disabilities. Filmmakers Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim, as passionate as the student leaders they interviewed, recount a tumultuous time at Gallaudet University in 1988.

The student-led protest resulted in a turning point at the school, established in 1864 – the only U.S. college with a total deaf/hard of hearing student population — but also for deaf rights and representation, and in a broader sense, changes for others considered ‘disabled.’

The protests began after the Gallaudet board of trustees appointed a hearing person who did not know sign language, Elisabeth Zinser, as the next president. Two deaf candidates were finalists as well — Irving King Jordan, a dean at the school, and Harvey J. Corson, director at the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Conn.

The students demanded that its first deaf president be appointed instead and shut down the campus for a week, from March 6 to 13.

The case gained national media attention after the new president, who had been president at University of Idaho, and Greg Hlibok, the leader of the student revolt, appeared on ABC’s “Nightline” – and afterwards, more support came from far and wide.

The board acquiesced, leading to the resignations of the board president, Jane Bassett Spihlman, clearly tone-deaf, who had stated: “Deaf people are not ready to function in a hearing world.”

When Zinser resigned, candidate I. King Jordan, who was hearing-impaired, was appointed. (He served for 18 years, and since then, they’ve always had a deaf president.)

Co-directors DiMarco, a deaf activist and the first deaf contestant to win “America’s Next Top Model” and “Dancing with the Stars” back-to-back, and Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim, who was born in St. Louis, have deftly assembled interviews and archival footage to chronicle a pivotal moment in time.

Four of the main student organizers are interviewed, using sign language while others do voice-overs of what they say: Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Jerry Covell, Tim Rarus, and Hlibok.

Student Leaders Tim Rarus, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Greg Hlibok, and Jerry Covell.

Guggenheim, who won many awards for his climate-change documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” directed such acclaimed films as “Waiting for Superman,” “He Named Me Malala,” and “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.”

He and DiMarco use different techniques to establish what the hearing-impaired world goes through day in and day out, including silence. Through their clear understanding of the subject matter, they evoke empathy and bring out emotions that deepen our knowledge.

The students, who joined with alumni and faculty to lead the non-violent protest, tell their experiences while signing in ASL, and four voice-over actors speak for them. Abigail Marlow, Paul Adelstein, Tim Blake Nelson and Leland Orser relay the responses.

The way the 1 hour, 40-minute film is constructed is riveting, leading to a few surprises, and ultimately a satisfying wrap. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival, “Deaf President Now!” is now streaming on Apple TV+.

Coverage of the game-changing protest and personal accounts of the ingrained prejudice of hearing people is certain to fire you up. To hear their plight is to react strongly to the injustices. And the snobby and elitist board president and others of wealth and privilege who act superior.

The deaf have a word for those clueless, arrogant people – “audists.”

The co-directors used some photo doubles when needed in recreations, and had a couple young people stand in for earlier versions of leaders – Charlton Hlibok and Danila Maucere as Greg and Bridgetta.

The outcome is earned, gratifying and its ripple effect is remarkable. Two years after their protest, the American Disabilities Act was passed

The deaf point of view is perceptive and the deaf community, proud of who they are, is inspiring. They stood up together and proved how valuable their voices were, making four demands that were met. And their backstories, about how much they have overcome, is illuminating for those of us in the hearing world.

. This story is dramatic and compelling, a real triumph.

Tim Rarus today.

By Lynn Venhaus
Attorney Bryan Stevenson’s own account of the Walter McMillian case, as recorded in the 2014 bestselling nonfiction book “Just Mercy: A Tale of Justice and Redemption,” is faithfully adapted on screen by writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton.

After earning a law degree from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) sets up shop in Alabama, focusing on defending wrongly condemned Death Row inmates, and finding out many were not afforded proper representation.

McMillian (Jamie Foxx) is one of his first cases. He is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl. Evidence overwhelmingly proves his innocence, but it’s an uphill battle because of racism and legal and political maneuvering.

While the film is basically a legal procedural, it pushes buttons – frustration, anger and a clear indication that justice is sometimes only for those who can afford a good lawyer.

Cretton, along with screenwriter Andrew Lantham, depicts the harsh reality of dealing with black-and-white issues in the deep South (and beyond) as it methodically details the ‘cover your ass’ local good-old-boy police and legal system.

What elevates this film, however, is the acting. With the customary outstanding portrayals one expects from Michael B. Jordan and Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, we are presented with the ‘so-what’ obstacles that have led real-life hero Stevenson to overturn convictions of dozens of innocent people.

The McMillian case, detailed on “60 Minutes,” is so obvious in its railroading of an innocent man that the struggles seem more outrageous as the film weaves its matter-of-fact account with all the subtlety of a freight train collision.

The supporting cast also excels in bringing clearly defined characters to life – especially Rob Morgan and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Death Row inmates Herbert Richardson and Anthony Ray Hinton. Brie Larson, so good in Cretton’s film “Short Term 12,” conveys activist Eve Ansley’s plight as a Southern wife and mother.

Versatile character actor Tim Blake Nelson delivers one of his finest performances as a key witness, Ralph Myers, whose original testimony helped put McMillian in prison.

Stevenson’s work, through his Equal Justice Institute, shows how badly the criminal justice system is broken – more criminal than just – and the filmmakers have done a public service by bringing it to our attention.

“Just Mercy” won the Audience Award at the St. Louis International Film Festival in November. It’s easy to see why it strikes a chord with anyone who believes in truth and justice.

This image released by Warner Bros Pictures shows Michael B. Jordan, left, and Rob Morgan in a scene from “Just Mercy.” (Jake Netter/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Genre: Drama, True Story
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson, O’Shea Jackson Jr.
Rated: Rated PG-13 for thematic content including some racial epithets.
Lynn’s Grade: B+

A version of this review was originally published in the Times newspapers.