Impolitic with John Heilemann Davis Guggenheim: “Deaf President Now!” & The Power of Documentaries
May 13, 2025
Davis Guggenheim, an Oscar and Emmy Award-winning documentarian, shares insights from his latest film, 'Deaf President Now!'. He discusses the groundbreaking 1988 protests at Gallaudet University, shedding light on the civil rights movement that many are unaware of. Guggenheim connects his past works, like 'An Inconvenient Truth' and 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie', emphasizing the importance of storytelling in advocating for marginalized communities. He also recounts a transformative experience with Denzel Washington that shifted his career perspective.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Deaf President Now Protest
- The 1988 Deaf President Now protest erupted after the university chose a hearing president over qualified deaf candidates.
- Students locked the campus with bicycle locks, demanding a deaf president, leading to an eight-day standoff.
Sound Design Mimics Deaf Experience
- The film uses sound transitions to represent the deaf experience versus the hearing perspective.
- For example, fire alarms are shown visually without sound to mimic deaf perception, then alternating to a loud sound for hearing viewers.
Student Leaders' Complex Dynamics
- The four student leaders have distinct personalities and tensions, especially between Greg and Jerry.
- Jerry felt he should have been chosen leader, and tensions remain decades later, showing real human dynamics.