I Didn’t See You There

As a visibly disabled person, filmmaker Reid Davenport sets out to make a film about how he sees the world, from either his wheelchair or his two feet, without having to be seen himself. The unexpected arrival of a circus tent outside his apartment in Oakland, CA leads him to consider the history and legacy of P.T. Barnum’s Freak Show and its lingering presence in his daily life in the form of gawking, lack of access, and other forms of ableism.

Informed by his position in space, lower to the ground, Davenport captures indelible images, often abstracted into shapes and patterns separate from their meaning. But the circus tent looms in the background, and is reverberated by tangible on-screen interruptions, from unsolicited offers of help to careless blocking of ramps. Personal and unflinching, “I Didn’t See You There” forces the viewer to confront the spectacle and invisibility of disability.

Winner of the Directing Award: U.S. Documentary at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible
Open Captions and Audio Description
ASL interpretation for panel discussion and community conversations
For additional accessibility accommodations, please contact director@parkcityfilm.org by Oct 24th.

Post-film discussion about accessibility in the Arts with Maggie Gettys and Tracy Meier, National Ability Center, Mark Turley, elected Treasurer National Federation for the Blind of Utah, and Lance Pickett, Chief Relationship Officer, Sorenson. Stan Clawson, Art Access, will moderate. Registration is requested, but not required to attend. 

A Q&A with the director of “I Didn’t See You There,” Reid Davenport, and a community conversation about accessibility in the arts and our community, facilitated by Mountain Mediation, will also take place on Saturday, November 5th at 2pm at the Jim Santy Auditorium. Registration and event details here.

Part of the Raising Voices Film Series. Presented in partnership with Sundance Institute, with additional grant support from Park City Municipal Corp and the Park City Chamber of Commerce.

Official Website IMDb Info