Being Heumann Review

*Being Heumann* dramatises disability activist Judith Heumann’s campaign for equality, focusing on a 1977 sit-in at a San Francisco government office. The protesters sought to pressure the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to enforce Section 504, a measure intended to protect disabled people’s rights; the film shows how their action depended on both public pressure and cooperation within the movement.

Directed by Sian Heder, the film stars wheelchair user Ruth Madeley as Heumann, with a cast that includes other disabled actors in roles reflecting their own experiences. The review praises the ensemble’s authenticity and the film’s willingness to show disagreements among activists, while noting that its dialogue can be overly explanatory. The real sit-in lasted nearly four weeks; the film is in cinemas and arrives on Apple TV on 13 November.