No documentary made me hurt and feel as twisted up as Cured this year at FIN Stream.

As a 29-year-old gay man, I sometimes take for granted my life. I forget all the riots, pushing, petitions and heartaches that led me to be able to live out and freely.

I had blocked from memory that fact that at one point, the American Psychological Association (APA) defined ‘homosexuality’ as a mental disorder.

It’s both disgusting and absolutely saddening that the LGBTQ+ community has had to overcome such hurdles just to have the right to love who they love be an accepted value in our society.

If I walk down the street and hold my boyfriend’s hand without threats or catcalls, I have people like the activists in this film to thank for it. It’s impossible to forget that after seeing Cured.

Directors Patrick Sammon and Bennett Singer do an incredible job of taking us through this struggle, and crusade for basic equality. It’s terrifying to know homosexuality wasn’t removed from the APA’s list of mental illnesses until 1973.

Cured is a captivating, heartbreaking film about the struggles of gay people against top psychologists, and the eventual win, but the journey is so hard to watch.

Not for the faint of heart, Cured is also a film that you won’t be able to help but be upset by. It’s a captivating watch.

4.5/5 Stars