It’s Only Life After All

SUGGESTED $10 DONATION

Lawn at Marble House

596 Bellevue Ave, Newport, RI

ABOUT THE FILM:

It’s Only Life After All premiered on opening night at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and went on to have its New York premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

Forty years of making music as the iconic folk-rock band Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have made their mark as musicians, songwriters, and dedicated activists.

 The duo began their musical connection as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, eventually honing their skills in dive bars and clubs across the South. Thier unexpected rise to fame with the 1989 hit “Closer to Fine” propelled Indigo Girls to a Grammy award and rapid popularity. Fans quickly fell in love with their harmonies, moving lyrics, and ability to defy genre with a vast range of musical breadth – from folk-like soulful ballads to punk-inspired rock anthems.

Living out publicly as lesbians long before there was understanding or tolerance for queerness in the music industry, they have represented radical self-acceptance to many – leading now multiple generations of fans to say, “the Indigo Girls saved my life.” Still, Amy and Emily battled misogyny, homophobia, and a harsh cultural climate chastising them for not fitting into a female pop star mold. As a result, they each grappled with the impact of internalizing those messages.

Emily and Amy redefined success for their musical careers with an uncompromising dedication to staying true to themselves. After meeting Indigenous activist Winona LaDuke, supporting grassroots activism and speaking out against social and environmental injustice became essential to their lives. 

In IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL, Sundance award-winning director Alexandria Bombach (FRAME BY FRAME, ON HER SHOULDERS) brings us into a contemporary conversation with Amy and Emily, alongside 40 years of home movies, raw film archives, and intimate present-day verité. With joy, humor, and heart-warming moments, the film subverts the typical music biopic format for the authentic and intimate storytelling for which Bombach’s work is known.

As the band continues to prioritize community in a culture that idolizes individualism, IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL gives the duo the recognition they deserve as musicians, trailblazers, and activists.

Photographs will be taken at this event. Images may be used by newportFILM for promotional purposes. .

Please visit our 2023 newportFILM outdoors FAQ Page for more info!