Reid Davenport is a filmmaker living in Oakland, California–and he lives with cerebral palsy. When one day a circus tent is erected just outside of his apartment, Reid begins considering the history of the freak show and what it means to be invisible. As he travels the streets of Oakland, exploring both the mundane and the extraordinary, his vision of life and what it’s meant to be come to life in I Didn’t See You There.
Reid is articulate and has a unique and interesting way of phrasing things–allowing even monotonous details of his life and the world around him to become more interesting. He often talks about the material that sidewalks are made of, folding tables, and other pretty boring aspects of the world–but his ability to manipulate his words creates something artistic and far more captivating than what should exist here. I Didn’t See You There is an interesting telling of the ordinary in a way that feels more exciting and interesting.
I Didn’t See You There is propelled by sound and the simplicity of life. As previously mentioned, Reid deals with some of the more boring aspects of life, and he’s tasked with ensuring that viewers don’t struggle to make a connection to the things they see and hear on screen. Reid’s choice of camera angles throughout the course of I Didn’t See You There are strange to say the least. Often pointed at the ground–or seemingly nothing at all–viewers are forced to find solace in the mundane, and I believe that Reid allows that to happen. I found myself counting the concrete blocks on the ground or listening to the calming sounds of Reid’s wheelchair riding across the asphalt. I almost found myself in a trance from time to time, becoming part of this journey. Reid has created something that has the potential to be difficult to appreciate if you’re not willing to completely dive in–but these instances, ones where viewers can’t help to become mesmerized, help this film greatly.
Reid is a difficult person to unwrap. There are many layers to Reid, some good and some frustrating, but I’m not sure that I’m able to put my finger on what exactly it is that Reid wants to be. The mystery behind the subject of this film (and consider the fact that you almost never see him on screen) adds something to the narrative–but the part of him that shines the brightest is, at times, infuriating. I can’t, in any way, shape, or form, begin to understand what it is that Reid experiences each and every day, and to some degree I Didn’t See You There attempts to bridge the gap between Reid and viewers. Nevertheless, I can’t put myself in his shoes–so take what I’m about to say with a grain of salt. Reid is always complaining about something, always defensive of the things happening to and around him.
I don’t believe, even for a second, that Reid is looking for sympathy–but the reality is that through his complaints (and even some of his more aggressive comments that he makes), viewers struggle to connect with him–at least in those moments. I Didn’t See You There has the potential to bridge the gap between different communities–but there are times when a bit of animosity comes to be instead.
I believe that Reid has the best of intentions at heart; I think that he wants the world to understand his struggles, and make it clear all that transpires in the world around us–and to a degree he does this. I Didn’t See You There comes from the heart, and Reid does a great job of turning the mundane into something exceptional (but I struggle to get over the hump that is his defensive attitude). Through everything, however, I Didn’t See You There works in a number of ways, and I believe that Reid gets the film that he had hoped for.
Directed by Reid Davenport.
Starring Reid Davenport.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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