In his personal essay film, I Didn’t See You There, filmmaker Reed Davenport uses dynamic camerawork to fully embody his point of view. I am making an attempt. As a disabled artist, Davenport navigates the world in a wheelchair. He has little courage and patience for the obstacles that others may pose, both physically and mentally.
Having traveled across the country to visit caring families around Oakland, Calif., and Connecticut, he talks about being “seen and unseen,” as he puts it, and the effort it takes to just run his business. I started thinking. In a world that doesn’t always have his needs in mind. The occasional meditation in his narration is punctuated by sharp encounters with strangers, from flight attendants to impressed neighbors, and a vibrant, percussive soundtrack.
Davenport also obsessed over the dazzling vistas of patterned surfaces he passes by, including colorful sidewalks and walls. These suggest a growing interest in potential danger, but also evoke the delightful run-on-reels of avant-garde diarists like filmmaker Jonas Mekas.
Of course, things are different in Davenport. His mobility is often dependent on others, and he keeps the camera away from himself, in contrast to many dramas that turn disabled people into passive subjects. When he encounters The Big Top, he laments its poignant presence and associated freakshow history.
With his characterization, Davenport bets his own vantage point on the world. Viewers want to hear more about his thoughts.
i didn’t see you there
Unrated. Running time: 1 hour 16 minutes. at the theater.