Guggenheim directs deaf documentary at the Sundance Film Festival

PARK CITY, Utah — “Deaf President Now!” the Sundance Film Festival documentary co-directed by Nyle Demarco and Davis Guggenheim premiered at the Eccles Theater on Monday.

The Program Guide description reads: During eight tumultuous days in 1988 at the world’s only Deaf university, four students must find a way to lead an angry mob — and change the course of history.

Galluadet University is located in Washington DC.

Guggenheim is no stranger to Sundance having brought Oscar winning “An Inconvenient Truth” with Vice President Al Gore to the 2006 Fest and this audience is no stranger to Dimarco having watched the deaf activist win TVs Americas Next Top Model. 

More recently, Guggenheim had another documentary at Sundance in 2023’s “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.”

Watch Co-Directors Dimarco (L) and Guggenheim (R) discuss the film.

 

Among the service dogs and many attendees with disabilities in the sold-out theater included National Ability Center (NAC) retired alpine skier and former Board member Stephani Victor. The double above-the-knee amputee is a two-time gold, two-time silver, and one-time bronze medalist Paralympian from Park City who also graduated from the University of Southern California (USC) Film School. 

She told TownLift, “I’ve been coming to Sundance Film Festival films for 26 years where they are always evolving their amazing ability campaign with programming, subjects, and filmmakers with disabilities. At the NAC we also serve a vast community of all abilities where it’s important to keep in mind that kindness, consciousness, and empathy goes a long way when interacting with a person or their family living with a disability.”

Victor continued “It’s great when someone asks, ‘What can I do for you?’ And if they say ‘Nothing’, like me, I say that a lot, or ‘Hey, can I help you?’ ‘Nope, I got this.’ ‘Are you sure?’ ‘Yep, I’m totally sure.’ Believe them. I know I look like I have a severe disability, it’s very visible, and you can see it, but I am quite capable. Let’s all continue to foster conversations around people’s ability and learn to embrace that and welcome it. If I had to climb to the top of Main Street right now to go to the Egyptian Theater, which is where I thought this movie was actually, I might need a friend or make a new friend to give my wheelchair a push and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. We all need a little help in this lifetime, but the point is to not marginalize, diminish or over-do, but to really just be present with people and see them for who and where they are in their ability.”

She concluded by saying, “It’s wonderful to run into so many friendly, familiar faces here tonight in support of disability, like you Michele, with a microphone in hand, as always, like when you were the announcer in Italy for my gold medal race.”

The Q and A following the screening had a combination of American Sign Language, English speakers, and Interpreters sitting in the front row with microphones as seen in this video.

Two stars of the documentary, through American Sign Language and interpreters, explain the challenges involved with single-digit degree freezing weather in Park City for this years’ Sundance Film Festival.

The two other of the films’ talent talk about how grateful they are for all the exciting attention being brought to the deaf community.

The theater venue is in the same building as the Park City High school which remains in session during the Festival and partners with them to provide free, class-time Short film screenings to students. One of teachers-turned-guidance-counsellors is Shannon Hase who appreciates the opportunities afforded to the student body with the proximity to the Park City Institute’s theater. He’s aware of Galluadet University as it’s one he can guide students towards if need be. Not unlike the one he wears, one of this film’s pivotal moments and messages revolves around the use of a hearing aid. 

Even interviewer members of the media who specialize in and empathize with disabled individuals came out to the red carpet event.