LGBTQ Documentary Opening in NYC this Weekend Eyes Oscar

The critically acclaimed documentary Forgetting the Many: The Royal Pardon of Alan Turing is set to open at Cinema Village in New York City this Friday for a one-week theatrical run. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Rosemarie Reed and narrated by the celebrated actor Ben Whishaw, the film takes an unflinching look at the historical injustices faced by thousands of men convicted under Britain’s 1885 law that criminalized male homosexual acts as “gross indecency.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, the documentary is included among the films eligible for an Oscar in 2025.

While Alan Turing’s posthumous 2013 royal pardon has been widely publicized, Reed’s documentary shifts the spotlight to the untold stories of the thousands of other men whose lives were upended by the same discriminatory law. Through powerful interviews, rare archival footage, and deeply personal narratives, Forgetting the Many delves into how these men lost their jobs, families, and dignity, often spending years stigmatized by criminal records that followed them even after the partial decriminalization of homosexual acts in England and Wales in 1967.

Reed, known for her documentaries highlighting overlooked historical figures, was inspired to create the film upon realizing that the celebrated pardon of Turing—a hero for his codebreaking work during World War II—overshadowed the struggles of many others. “Although none of the men in the film are prominent figures like Turing, their plights are just as powerful and deserve to be on equal footing as Turing’s story,” Reed explains.

The documentary also explores the piecemeal progress made in the UK’s legal system. While the 2017 passage of “Turing’s Law” granted automatic posthumous pardons to deceased men convicted of now-decriminalized homosexual acts, living individuals have faced an arduous process to have their records expunged. Reed highlights that even today, some men remain ineligible for pardons due to offenses—such as consenting sexual acts in public spaces—that are still classified as crimes.

Beyond recounting the past, Forgetting the Many serves as a call to action for continued advocacy. Reed’s film underscores how similar laws and their legacies continue to harm LGBTQ+ individuals globally, emphasizing the need for both legal reform and societal change.

Forgetting the Many: The Royal Pardon of Alan Turing opens at Cinema Village on Friday.  Tickets are available here.