Judy Heumann lived a storied life, challenging the status quo, exposing governmental flaws, and giving a voice to one of the most marginalized, castaway communities: people with disabilities. She passed away suddenly in 2023 at age 75, after years of involvement in the movie adaptation of her biography, “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist.” Siân Heder, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker known for CODA (2021), helms the adaptation, titled Being Heumann.  

Halfway through reading Heumann’s memoir, Heder immediately reached out to discuss adapting it for the screen. The two met, and the rest was history. Eleven years later, Being Heumann premiered to a sold-out, ecstatic crowd at the 51st Toronto International Film Festival. After the screening, I met up with two of the film’s producers, John Beach and Kevin Cleary, on the red carpet to talk about what this film means to them and how they hope it inspires viewers.

You can listen to our full conversation below. 

Where to start with an adaptation can be tricky, specifically with biographies turned into biopics. Fitting a whole life into two hours isn’t ideal, so I asked the producers how they picked a starting point for Being Heumann. Beach, who knew Judy Heumann well and worked with her personally, says the team wanted to make sure the film started on a strong note. Rather than taking us to the beginning of her life or throwing us right into the central plot, the film uses a few flashbacks to her early activism to establish Heumann as a rebellious revolutionary.

“We did a little backstory before to recognize Judy as the badass,” Beach explained, but the team knew the heart of this specific adaptation was the historic 504 Sit-in. On April 5, 1977, Judy led groups of people with disabilities and their caretakers to sit-in at federal buildings across the country. Her specific faction occupied a federal building in San Francisco for a record-setting 28 days. This was all in petition for Joseph Califano to sign Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, granting people with disabilities the right to take part in any federally funded program.

While the story focuses on serious issues and important history, the standout quality of Heder’s adaptation is its lightness, comedy, and fun. The film’s humor and upbeat energy help convey the endurance of empathy and humanity in the face of harsh realities. Beach reiterated this central theme: “To me, I think [the film] is about community. I think it’s about empathy…and about seeing these relationships in this building.”

Producer Kevin Cleary credits the film’s light, fun tone to two things: the writing and cast. Siân Heder and her writing partner Rebekah Taussig “captured all of that magic” in the script. He points out how “every character has their story arc,” starting out in one place and ending in another. Cleary knew that all the shenanigans that occurred in that building were the elements of the story that “would make it fun for the audience, instead of making this preachy lecture.” 

Keeping over a hundred people with disabilities alive and well while inhabiting a federal office for nearly a month in the 1970s naturally presents the film with unique quirks. There is a scrappiness and creativity required in this task that gives Being Heumann a lot to work with when it comes to these characters. For instance, there was a “sex den” built within one of the occupied offices. Ultimately, Cleary admits that the first thing that drew him to this story was “all the sex, drugs, and rock and roll that happened” during the sit-in. Even with the sobering historical significance of the film’s events, Being Heumann is very much a product of the ’70s.

On top of this ensemble cast, Being Heumann is fueled by a knockout Ruth Madeley as Judy and features a couple of heavy-hitting Hollywood names, like Mark Ruffalo and Dylan O’Brien. While Ruffalo excels as the antagonistic Califano, there is a quietly profound performance from O’Brien as a local news reporter, Evan White, that is central to the film. White decides to cover the story of the sit-in, bringing his film camera as his companion. Clearly, it suggests White acts as a vessel for the audience. He “shows up, doesn’t know what this is all about, becomes friends, and is embedded with the group” – a situation that will likely be the case for many viewers of Being Heumann.

With an inspiring story like this, one might think supporting the film would be enough. But, as Judy says in the film, it’s not enough to inspire people; you must inspire them to take action. Cleary cited the quote in our interview, stating that he wants Being Heumann “to inspire people to take action,” adding that it “would honor Judy and her legacy.”

Separately, but not surprisingly, Beach also concluded his interview with a call to action for viewers. He excitedly shared that on April 5, 2027, in celebration of the 504 Sit-in’s 50th anniversary, “we are going to recreate the protest. We’re going to go to San Francisco for 28 days, and we’re going to do it again,” making sure to add that this time the city’s on board too.

Interview Courtesy of Kasey Dunifer

Feature Image Courtesy of TIFF