Blindspotting

Based on the actual experiences of co-writers and co-actors Rafael Casal and Daveed Diggs while growing up together in West Oakland and the Bay area, the film follows Collin (Diggs) and Miles (Casal) as childhood buddies who are struggling with the loss of their beloved neighborhood as new affluent hipsters are rapidly infiltrating and changing the dynamics of the city and ultimately throwing their relationship into turmoil.

Blindspotting starts out as a buddy comedy but eventually becomes a serious social commentary on race relations, police brutality and the effects of gentrification by throwing together a mix of people with very different values and experiences that see the locals changing their perspective on their old community.

The independent gritty drama opens with a split screen montage of West Oakland, California and the Bay area ghetto street life set to Verdi’s opera "Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici Brindisi", starting the film off with a fun celebratory vibe juxtaposing old and new images of a city in flux between what it used to be and what it’s becoming.

This low budget buddy drama about the friendship between Collin, a soft spoken quiet young black man, and Miles, his hotheaded fast-talking white friend who grew up having to adapt to the predominantly black cultural hub of West Oakland, takes place during the last three days of Collin’s probation period, but Miles’ volatile temper keeps threatening to violate Collin’s strict parole terms.

When Collin witnesses a police shooting of a black man one night while driving home, it affects him more than he realizes and we quickly suspect that his last few days serving his probation as a convicted felon could easily end with him back in jail and losing his freedom.

Meanwhile the strange transition and metamorphoses of his community into unrecognizable people and places, and the innate police prejudices toward young black men are making his plans to leave a life of incarceration behind more difficult than he imagined.

Blindspotting refers to a psychology term called Rubin’s Vase where two images exist simultaneously but depending on one’s background and experiences, we only see one image while missing the other until it’s pointed out to us. The film thus shows how we are unconsciously biased toward one perception of certain people until we are shown another.

Using unique Bay area vernacular and slang that was prominent in West Oakland, Collin and Miles who are longtime Oakland locals and real-life rappers often communicate in rap verse and poetry slams throughout the film. The performances are superb all around including the two main leads who have a genuine chemistry and comradery as they are childhood friends in real life.

A passion project that was ten years in the making, Blindspotting is the culmination of years of planning and went through many iterations over the years, but despite its long incubation period the film feels remarkably current, dealing truthfully with today’s extremely topical issues.

Blindspotting is a tough hard-hitting reflection of urban inner-city life that has a good heart and no small amount of humor mixed with tense drama. It’s an amazing tribute to the affection and determination of the filmmakers that this fun visual record of a period in transition from old school boom box to new digital cell phone apps nostalgia has been brought to the screen with such honesty and flare.

JP