Pedro has been in the United States since he was sixteen years old, when he traveled from Mexico. Pedro is blind and undocumented, causing him to face a series of obstacles throughout his time in the country–but he’s determined, and he refuses to give up on his hopes and dreams. While he often feels Unseen, it’s not himself that he’s worried about, but rather others; he dreams of being a social worker so that he can help others. This is his story.
How do you take a simple documentary and turn it into something that everyone can appreciate? You have to make viewers understand, you have to allow them the opportunity to see things the way the film’s lead sees things in this world–and Unseen does just that.
Director Set Hernandez makes the brilliant decision to blur many of the scenes throughout Unseen, as it allows Pedro’s journey to better resonate with viewers. Furthermore, it allows viewers to more thoroughly access the documentary, and truly understand the struggles of the man who is the face of the film. This is the way in which Hernandez and crew ultimately reach viewers, the way in which viewers begin to understand the content present throughout the course of Unseen–and, again, it’s brilliant.
Hernandez does everything that he can to ensure that viewers understand Pedro’s life, that they can truly appreciate the hurdles that he jumps over each and every day. From beginning to end he finds ways to do this, including having Pedro narrate the end credits. This team does such a wonderful job of reminding us of what Pedro deals with each and every day without being pushy, but rather by just letting things play out in a smooth and effective fashion. Unseen flourishes in this regard–and this creativity is ultimately what will allow the film to appeal to viewers.
Outside of this story-telling technique, I’m not sure that Unseen ever really excites viewers the way that this team had hoped. The story itself isn’t one that really appeals to me, and it’s the cinematography and such that manages to keep me engaged throughout the majority of Unseen. When the story struggles, viewers struggle–and that’s the case here. As the film plays out viewers hear the same song and dance that they’ve heard a million times. They hear about the immigration issues that plague the United States and the individuals wishing to move into the country and they hear about the struggles with diversity in the real world. I’m not in any way condemning Unseen for covering these topics (because, to be honest, the documentary manages to address a slightly different part of these issues than usual), but they still exist in the same vein as so many other films–and I find the information to be redundant at this point. This is the trend of the times, and that trend will likely continue for a few more years (at the very least)–but I want it to be time to move on in the world of cinema.
For the most part Unseen is a case of “been there, done that.” However, Hernandez does find unique ways to appeal to his viewers, unique ways to pique their interest and allow them to become a part of Pedro’s journey. The techniques used by Hernandez and his team work; they certainly appeal to viewers and allow them to see the merit of Unseen, but it’s just not enough. The film is slow moving, intendedly meticulous–but its inability to veer from the typical storyline and overall content hinders its ability to be truly productive.
Directed by Set Hernandez.
Starring Pedro, Tyler, Mom, Dad, José, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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