A viewer opening the Apple TV listing for Being Heumann in the United States can see which sign languages the film offers before pressing play. The film’s listing names American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language (BSL). The drama began streaming November 13, the day Apple said it would introduce on-screen sign language interpretation for selected titles.
That date marks the film’s streaming debut. It opened in select theaters November 6. Siân Heder’s drama stars Ruth Madeley as disability rights organizer Judy Heumann and depicts the 1977 San Francisco sit-in. The distributor’s release notice sets out the two dates, and the Associated Press’s reporting confirms the theatrical opening and describes the protest depicted in the film.
The app setting and the film listing answer different questions. The setting turns on access to the playback control. The listing tells you which sign languages are offered for that title. Apple instructs viewers to enable Sign Language in the Apple TV app’s settings, then use the Sign Language button during playback on a supported title. Apple also says it will mark eligible titles with an icon. The company says the feature requires iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, or visionOS 27.2 or later, or the latest app software on a supported third-party device.
On the U.S. page for Being Heumann, sign languages have their own entry under Languages. The page lists English closed captions separately under Subtitles. Those captions present dialogue and relevant sounds in writing; the sign language option places an interpreter in the corner of the video.
The distinction matters when choosing a second movie. Apple named F1 for ASL and BSL and said Way of the Warrior Kid and Greyhound would follow later this year. If a particular sign language determines whether you can watch, check the individual title’s listing for that language before settling on a film.