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Who Can See Forever is billed as a portrait of enigmatic singer-songwriter Sam Beam, better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, but plays out more like an immersive concert experience.
Shot over the course of three years and using traditional concert film as a jumping-off point, director Josh Sliffe provides the first-ever glimpse into the universe of the 49-year-old Beam, who took the name Iron & Wine from a from a dietary supplement he discovered in a general store.
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When performing, Beam often has a backing band. In the film, the tremendously talented musicians who accompany him get plenty of on-screen time to show off their talents. But it’s the music and creative process of Beam that takes center stage.
The documentary is based in large part around an Iron & Wine performance to a select audience at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, North Carolina. The small crowd gathers tightly around Beam and his band as they play, providing moviegoers with an incredibly intimate and passionate performance played out on the big screen. Footage is also shot at a few other venues as well as a recording studio.
When combined, the footage transforms the film into an Iron & Wine concert, with 19 songs featured during the 110-minute movie.
Raised in South Carolina, Beam’s father worked in land management and his mother was a teacher. He released his first Iron & Wine album, The Creek Drank the Cradle, on the Sub Pop label in 2002. Beam wrote, performed, recorded and produced the album in his home studio.
Beam’s music is folk at its core but has been defined with such labels as folk rock and indie folk. His lyrics are poetic and often intensely personal. Although the film delves rather deeply into Beam’s music and interesting creative process, there are mere glimpses into his personal life. He’s briefly seen playing with his children at their family home in Durham, North Carolina and periodically painting during periods of leisure. The film, however, sheds little light on Beam’s life outside the context of his musical brilliance.
There’s footage of Beam in his house, which appears to be simply decorated, almost spartan, yet cluttered with boxes on the floor. He’s filmed in his home studio and standing outside while barefoot on what appears to be a blustery fall day. Aside from guitars and other music-related equipment, Beam doesn’t appear to be caught up in material possessions.
Beam speaks of how he feels blessed yet lucky to be doing what he loves for a living, referring to his success as something akin to being in the right place at the right time. “The whole thing felt like a fluke,” he said.
He vocalizes at various points during the film his thoughts about the twists and turns in life, and the shocking brevity of it all.
Beam’s lyrics range from beautiful to painful and are often introspective. He speaks of the fears and uneasiness he has with certain aspects of life, including raising his family – he’s the father of five children – and the trepidation he had at first in performing in front of an audience, where unlike other forms of art there is an immediate connection.“I was always afraid of making myself look like a jackass,” he said. “Now, I really enjoy it.”
Although he repeatedly stated that he’s not religious, it’s clear that Beam is often reaching for a higher power of some sort as he grapples with the meaning and shocking brevity of life. “I think songs about the meaning of life are why we are here, the big mysteries,” he said. “I think those are important. Existence can be scary. There’s no safety ropes,” Beam said.
If you’re an Iron & Wine fan, you’ll no doubt enjoy Who Can See Forever and the long-sought glimpse of Beam’s life it offers while mostly gaining an even deeper appreciation for Beam’s music, given that it’s largely a concert film. For those who are new to Iron & Wine, you’ll be enlightened and entertained nonetheless and find this a worthy film.
SEE IT YOURSELF: You can catch the Milwaukee Film Festival’s showing of Who Can See Forever at the Oriental Theatre on Thursday, April 25 at 1 p.m.
