In 1983, a disabled Californian woman named Elizabeth Bouvia sought the “right to die,” igniting a national debate about autonomy and the value of disabled lives. Join a special screening of the Sundance-winning documentary LIFE AFTER, which amplifies the voices of the disability community fighting for justice and dignity in an unfolding matter of life and death. The film is directed by Reid Davenport and produced by Colleen Cassingham and Multitude Films.
There will be a reception before the screening, followed by a conversation with Reid Davenport and Rebecca Cokley, Disability Rights Program Officer for the Ford Foundation. Vann R. Newkirk II, senior editor at The Atlantic, will be moderating the conversation.
The film will be screened with open captions. The venues for this event are wheelchair accessible.
"Profound and unflinching, this documentary engages in philosophical terrain that is treacherous, challenging, and ultimately rich and necessary. LIFE AFTER looks closely and critically at where progressive values of bodily autonomy and individual choice collide with latent fears of disability and an unequal value of the lives of disabled people. In doing so, Reid untangles an issue at the heart of our moral societal standing." —Sundance Film Festival, Special Jury Award Winner
AGENDA
• 5:00 p.m. - Registration opens and pre-reception begins
• 5:45 p.m. - Screening of LIFE AFTER
• 7:25 p.m. - Panel discussion
• 8:00 p.m. - Event Ends
About JustFilms
The Ford Foundation's global initiative, JustFilms, supports filmmakers, organizations, and networks that amplify voices and illuminate perspectives often ignored, overlooked, or silenced by culture, including people of color in the United States and those from the Global South.
Learn more about JustFilms.
About US Disability Rights
The Ford Foundation's US Disability Rights portfolio started in 2021 with an emphasis on building the field of the next generation of disability rights organizations and leaders, and breaking apart the very strong connection between disability and poverty. These ongoing efforts are tied to our broader commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we’re committed to learning every step of the way. Guided by the South African disability movement’s mantra, “Nothing about us without us,” we’re working to confront ableism and expand participation and inclusion in both our grantmaking and our organizational practices.
Learn more about Ford Foundation’s Disability Rights portfolio.
Rebecca Cokley is the program officer for the foundation’s first-ever U.S. Disability Rights program, which is focused on strengthening the field, building a pipeline of diverse leadership, promoting disability pride, and mobilizing resources toward disability rights work. She also serves as the foundation’s liaison to the President’s Council for Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy.
Reid Davenport makes documentaries about disability from an overtly political perspective. Reid’s first two feature films, LIFE AFTER (2025) and I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE (2022), both premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and respectively won a Special Jury Award and the Directing Award. I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE won the True Than Fiction Award at the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards and was broadcast nationally on PBS’s POV. LIFE AFTER aired on PBS’ Independent Lens in fall 2025 and currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Vann R. Newkirk II is a senior editor at The Atlantic, and the host and co-creator of the Peabody Award-winning podcast Floodlines. Newkirk was a 2022 Andrew Carnegie fellow, and was a 2020 James Beard Award finalist, a 2020 11th Hour Fellow at New America, and a 2018 recipient of the American Society of Magazine Editors's ASME Next Award. In 2024, Newkirk was named Journalist of the Year by the Washington Association of Black Journalists.
—Registration is required for this event and RSVPs are non-transferable.
—All members of the public must present a photo ID matching the registration name and complete a weapons detection screening.
—Large bags and suitcases will not be allowed on workplace or convening floors, or in the gallery, and must be checked with security in the Welcome Lounge.
—If a visitor arrives without a photo ID or the ID does not match their registration, security will contact the meeting or event host and that person will be required to come to the 43rd Street entrance to verify their guest.
If you have any questions for the event organizers, please email events@fordfoundation.org.
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