Description
Academy Award–winning filmmaker Siân Heder (“CODA,” “Tallulah”) and actor Ruth Madeley (“Don’t Take My Baby,” “Doctor Who”) join Backstage to talk about “Being Heumann,” the powerful biopic about the late disability rights activist Judy Heumann and her fight to ensure access for people with disabilities. Madeley, who portrays Heumann, and Heder, who co-wrote, directed, and produced the film, discuss the responsibility of bringing Heumann’s story to the screen, their experiences getting to know her, and why her legacy deserves greater recognition.
The pair explore the film’s focus on the historic 1977 Section 504 sit-in that Heumann helped organize, the importance of authentic representation, and creating an inclusive production. Plus, they reflect on the ongoing fight for disability rights and what still needs to change for disabled artists and creatives.