Being Heumann is director Sian Heder’s follow-up to the Best Picture-winning CODA. Sometimes, directors get a big cheque and swing for the fences, but here Heder makes a more modest scale-up to tell a story about marginalized individuals, specifically the people who protest to get Section 504 signed. Section 504 would establish accessibility protections for disabled individuals, and in order to pressure the government, Judy Heumann (Ruth Madeley) leads a group in a sit-in at the San Francisco Federal Building for over 20 days and nights.
This may not be a uniquely shot or edited movie, but it is a well-made film that is thoughtfully constructed and gives plenty of room for great line deliveries and moments. It also has an excellent soundtrack. The film is held together by a great performance from Ruth Madeley, along with a stellar ensemble of authentic performances. These characters get to the heart of what it means to advocate for a marginalized group, looking at both the large-scale moments captured by the press and the smaller moments between the protesters as they struggle with the logistics of being away from home for 21 days, especially when many require wheelchairs, support workers, and other forms of assistance. Still, there is joy to be found, as these individuals coming together gives them an unparalleled sense of community and freedom that many have not experienced in their lives.
This film, like many people who advocate for marginalized groups, wrestles with the strong conflict between anger and grace. What is more effective? What gets the job done? And what is the right thing to do? The film is a great representation of how the leader of a movement like Judy has to reconcile these two attitudes, and future movements should take note of how Judy has to both stay firm and compromise where needed.
It’s a film that successfully brings you into their headspace, and the injustice you see effectively inspires anger. But we also see how effective grace and love can be, and why they are needed to lead the world toward positive change.
Being Heumann is playing at TIFF ’26. For more information, click here.
