While a lot of people think their family history would make for a good documentary, in most cases they are horribly wrong. However it seems Cecilia Aldarondo might be right. She’s putting together a doc about her uncle, who died of AIDS in 1987. However it’s not just a case study of one of the millions of tragic AIDS related deaths, as her uncle ‘renounced’ his homosexuality on his death bed, after being begged to by his mother. And due to his family’s attitude towards homosexuality, his partner was frozen out of the grieving process.

It’s a sad and moving tale, and while Aldarondo has already started putting the film together, she needs more money to finish. She is currently seeking at least $20,000 on Kickstarter to fund the next phase of the production, and is crossing her fingers for $100,000 to completely finish the film.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘It is April 1987. Miguel ‘Mickey’ Dieppa, a 31-year-old Puerto Rican with dreams of making it big on Broadway, is lying in a bed in New York Presbyterian Hospital. He may or may not be dying of AIDS—his symptoms are mysterious, and he’s never been tested.  His mother Carmen, a devout Catholic, begs him to repent of his homosexuality and receive Holy Communion. Miguel agrees, despite the fact that he wears a wedding ring acknowledging his commitment to his partner Robert. A few days later, he dies—it is Easter Sunday. Carmen is convinced it is a miracle. Not only has her son’s soul been spared, but he has also been resurrected alongside Jesus Christ.

‘In MEMORIES OF A PENITENT HEART, I investigate my uncle’s deathbed repentance. I chart Miguel’s illness and talk to his doctors. I reckon with my grandmother’s faith by digging up Carmen’s religious radio program and interviewing the priests and nuns who knew her best. Most importantly, I search for Miguel’s live-in partner Robert, in an attempt to hear his side of the story. Chasing the rumor mill, I travel across the US, trying to figure out what everyone lost in that hospital room back in 1987.’

The entire project is a massive challenge for the first time director, who doesn’t have a rolodex full of Hollywood insiders to ask for help. She does have a potentially fascinating story though and has partnered with a few film professionals to get to the point she’s reached so far. Now she’s hoping to take the next step by getting more funding. The plan is then to film more interviews, editing the film and put it through post-production, getting the movie into festivals during autumn of 2013.

You can find out more about the movie by watching the videos above and below, as well as visiting the film’s Kickstarter page.

For younger gay people, it’s often difficult to believe that only a decade or two before we were born, gay sex wasn’t just shunned by society, it was illegal, and therefore that’s the background against which many older gay people grew up. Sir Ian McKellen has been talking about that fact with Anderson Cooper, saying, “I was making love until I was about 30 with my live-in boyfriend and we were breaking the law every time we had sex. Breaking the law. We could have been arrested. I had friends who were put in prison for it.”

The Hobbit actor backed up recent statement he’s made about revealing his sexuality publicly, saying, “I’ve never met a gay person who’s regretted coming out.”

McKellen mentions the importance of people coming out and the effect that can have for the gay rights fight in terms of changing hearts and minds. It’s well worth a look, so watch the video above.