The feature documentary Life After directed by Reid Davenport's (MFA '16) and co-produced by Lyntoria Newton (MFA '17) received the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The film explores the story of Elizabeth Bouvia, a disabled Californian woman who sought the "right to die" in 1983, sparking a national debate about autonomy and dignity, and society's perception of disability.
The jury praised Life After for asking "profound, unsettling questions about life and death, individual autonomy vs public policy, and what defines — and who determines — the quality of an individual life". They commended Davenport's "unflinching approach" in examining assumptions about a person's right to die and live.
This award marks another success for Davenport, whose previous film I Didn't See You There won the Directing Award for U.S. Documentary at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
