“[A] fascinating doc about doctors who took too long to heal themselves… Scintillates… So many vibrant and articulate participants [recall] their part in a battle that did a great deal to change longstanding (and not yet extinct) prejudices.”
— Stephen Farber,
“[A] striking documentary. One of the 5 best LGBTQ+ films we watched [at Outfest].”
— David Oliver,
“Suspenseful and furnishing a slam-dunk case about the landmark importance of this event, Cured is probably the best LGBTQ documentary of the year.”
— Brian Bromberger,
“A fascinating new documentary. Doctors once considered homosexuality an illness; Cured celebrates heroes who proved otherwise.”
— David Reddish,
“Astonishingly rich...one of the best documentaries of this or any year.”
— Brian Robinson,
ABOUT THE FILM
LONG SYNOPSIS
Mentally ill. Deviant. Diseased. And in need of a cure.
These were among the terms psychiatrists used to describe lesbians and gay men in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. According to the medical establishment, every gay person—no matter how well-adjusted—suffered from a mental disorder. And as long as lesbians and gay men were “sick,” progress toward equality was impossible. CURED chronicles the battle waged by a small group of activists who declared war against a formidable institution—and won a crucial victory in the modern movement for LGBTQ equality.
This feature-length documentary takes viewers inside the David-versus-Goliath struggle that led the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to remove homosexuality from its manual of mental illnesses in 1973. Viewers meet the key players who achieved this victory, along with allies and opponents within the APA. The film illuminates the strategy and tactics that led to this pivotal yet largely unknown moment. Indeed, following the Stonewall uprising of 1969, the campaign that culminated in the APA’s decision marks the first major step on the path to first-class citizenship for LGBTQ Americans.
While CURED is indisputably about science, medicine, and politics, at its core this is a film about activism and the process of social change. It features a diverse group of crusaders with stubborn dedication and big personalities who came together at a crossroads in LGBTQ history. Their tenacity, resourcefulness, and ingenuity brought about a change that transformed not only LGBTQ people’s perceptions of themselves, but also the social fabric of America.
Writers & Directors Bennett Singer, Patrick Sammon
Producers Bennett Singer, Patrick Sammon
Archival Producers Mridu Chandra, Lewanne Jones
Executive Producers Sally Jo Fifer, Cole Rucker, Jeff Nalin, Andrew Tobias, Mel Heifetz
Co-Producers Mridu Chandra, Julianne Donofrio, Joel Greenblatt, Assaf Mor, Christopher Racster, Ted Snowdon, Duffy Violante
Editor Steve Heffner
Director of Photography Sam Henriques
Music Ian Honeyman
On-Camera Interviews Harry Adamson, Gary Alinder, Dr. Robert Campbell, Ronald Gold, Dr. Richard Green, Dr. Lawrence Hartmann, Rev. Magora Kennedy, Don Kilhefner, Kay Lahusen, Dr. Saul Levin, Dr. Richard Pillard, Dr. Charles Silverstein, Richard Socarides
Archival Interviews Dr. Irving Bieber, Sally Duplaix, Dr. John Fryer, Barbara Gittings, Dr. Evelyn Hooker, Dr. Frank Kameny, Dr. Judd Marmor, Rick, Dr. Charles Socarides, Rick Stokes, Whitey
FESTIVALS
2020: Outfest (World Premiere), Frameline
AWARDS
AT&T Audience Award: Best Documentary (Frameline44), Audience Award for Documentary Feature (Newfest), Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media
AVAILABLE TERRITORIES
The World
EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Blu-Ray, Digital Download
PRESS KIT
Download Press Kit
AVAILABLE PRESS IMAGES (click to preview)
