Who Can See Forever: A Portrait of Iron & Wine

Who Can See Forever is the first ever in-depth look into the life and music of Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam. Initially conceived as a live document, Who Can See Forever grew into a deeper study of its enigmatic subject as director Josh Sliffe spent more and more time on the road. Shot over the course of three years and using the traditional concert film as his jumping-off point, Sliffe digs into the myth and ethos of Iron & Wine through a series of interviews and unguarded behind-the-scenes footage that welcome the viewer into the center of Beam’s universe.
The film broke ground during a particularly creative period wherein Iron & Wine released back-to-back Grammy nominated records and were in the midst of a three-year touring cycle. The concert film is drawn from a two night-stand at the historic Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, North Carolina and features bassist Sebastian Steinberg (Fiona Apple, Soul Coughing), drummer Elizabeth Goodfellow (Allison Russell, Better Oblivion Community Center), cellist Teddy Rankin-Parker and keyboardist Eliza Hardy-Jones (War on Drugs, Grace Potter). The shows were performed in-the-round for a once in a lifetime experience and the live performances pull from the entirety of Iron & Wine’s 20 plus year career.
“Who Can See Forever”, which takes its name from one of Iron & Wine’s most beloved compositions, “The Trapeze Swinger,” manages to serve as part concert film, part music documentary and part meditative examination as it captures one of independent music’s most prolific singer-songwriters. [Abramorama]

Starring: Sam Beam
Director: Josh Sliffe
Genre(s): Biography, Documentary, Music