Sundance review: Documentary 'I Didn't See You There' uses explosions of texture to show the view from wheelchair level

The title of director Reid Davenport’s “I Didn’t See You There” is supposed to represent what people probably say to him as they look past him while he ambulates in his wheelchair — but, as this eye-opening documentary progresses, I think it exemplifies Davenport’s attitude that he’s going to zip through life at high speed, taking in everything he can, and it’s up to everyone else to either enjoy the ride or get the hell out of the way.

Davenport is his own cinematographer for most of the film, either holding the camera or mounting it on his wheelchair as he barrels down the sidewalks of Oakland, Calif., where he lives. He chose Oakland so he could be independent, in a city with continuous sidewalks, ample curb cuts and good public transit. (The film spends a lot of time on BART subways.)

One day, Davenport notices a circus tent erected across the street from his apartment building. As he circles the perimeter, Davenport reflects on the history of circuses, particularly the side shows where people with disabilities or non-conforming appearances were put on display as freaks. Davenport occasionally flies to his home town, Bethel, Conn. — the birthplace, as it happens, of showman P.T. Barnum, the co-founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus and the guy who more than anyone popularized the “freak show.”

Hanging with Davenport, who keeps his camera running as he rolls through Oakland or hangs with his family in Bethel, we see the world from the level of his wheelchair. We experience the microaggressions he encounters, whether it’s a couple loading their car in the middle of a curb cut or a pile of those damn electric scooters blocking the sidewalk.

Sometimes, the camera is pointed straight ahead, so we can see the path ahead. Sometimes, it’s aimed at the sky. In some of the most fascinating footage, the camera is pointed toward the ground, and all of the different components of the path — the gray concrete, the black asphalt, the red bricks of fancier storefronts, the yellow bumps along the subway entrances — flash before your eyes. The swirl of color and texture, reminiscent of one of Stan Brakhage’s experimental films, illustrates a view of the world people out of wheelchairs might never notice.

Davenport doesn’t show himself on screen too much — he’s holding the camera, so if we see him, it’s probably in a reflection. What we do see, by entering his point of view, is a man frustrated at the obstacles in his life but determined and resilient to roll over them.

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‘I Didn’t See You There’

★★★★

Premiered Monday, January 24, in the U.S. Documentary competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Screens again on the festival portal, Wednesday, January 26, for a 24-hour window starting at 8 a.m. Not rated, but probably PG-13 for language. Running time: 77 minutes.