‘It’s Only Life After All’ is a Beautifully intimate Film about the Indigo Girls

{By: Lauren Trunfio} ‘It’s Only Life After All’ is a vulnerable and heartwarming glimpse at female-friendship and sexuality in rock and roll. This exceptional film follows Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, better known as the Indigo Girls, through their status as the first female rock figures to come out as gay while also enjoying commercial success. Ray and Saliers met for the first time in grammar school, and even though Saliers was one year ahead of Ray, that did not stop these two powerhouses from becoming the closest of friends. Depicted in the film, the audience can easily get the sense that Ray was certainly the most motivated out of the two, with a strong sense of ambition to create music, and Saliers was much more quiet and elusive. However, these two ladies worked tremendously together in order to do what it is that they loved. Another part of the film that we loved watching was the aspect of activism that was heavily focused on, as the ladies used their status in the industry to push for causes they cared about. The folk duo were involved in leading campaigns to stop prison rape and inform prisoners of their rights, and they also spent a large amount of their time speaking about gay rights. Not only are these two ladies incredible musicians, but at the heart of it, they are incredible people, and we loved that this film focused on those key aspects.

In the beginning, the two ladies did not have the opportunity to relish in their success because of their sexuality, as it often became the talking point during interviews, and the headline for any kind of coverage they would receive. However, as times began to change, so would the media’s perception of them. With an intimate look at love, friendship, and sexuality in music, the director did a phenomenal job of bringing their story to life. This film is a must watch for sure, we loved every second of it!