My Bigfoot Life

Bluesky

If you’re going to be a cryptozoologist, England doesn’t seem like a very auspicious place to start. Yes, it still has some areas of moorland where big cat sightings have allegedly been made, and it’s very likely true that escaped wallabies have succeeded in establishing breeding colonies out there, but most of the country is paved over or built on, with only small patches of woodland where onw would think that nothing really unusual could managed to hide. Nevertheless, when young Daniel and his gran finally managed to observe the deer they had been tracking in the woodland near his home there, he decided that he wanted a bigger challenge, and that it was time for them to start looking for bigfoot.

Daniel, now 15, is autistic, and anxiety related to his difference has made it impossible for him to go to a regular school. He’s clearly bright and curious, and his parents have done a good job of helping him to learn at home, but they have done so at part by structuring that around his own interests. Some neurotypical people describe these as ‘obsessions’, but one wonders at how dull their lives must be without any real passions of their own. Daniel loves everything about bigfoot lore. He has taken the initiative and reached out to befriend leading experts on the subject from around the world, which means that this documentary also has access to them. He is also very self-aware, however, and realises the absurdity of his local search – just as he realises the importance of pursuing that passion for its own sake.

Like many of the best documentaries, this is primarily about human relationships, and it doesn’t take long to see the value of the community that has grown up amongst bigfoot enthusiasts. Daniel quickly assumes that special status accorded to newcomers in a subculture who give everyone else hope for its longevity. It’s not easy for him to participate in everything that the others do, with travel, public speaking and coping with a brief episode of unexpected hostility all presenting challenges, but he’s brave, and he has good support, and watching him overcome challenges – including, in one instance, the challenge presented by failure – has genuine inspirational value for younger viewers. Furthermore, as writer and co-director, he is in the unusual position of being able to explain things in this own terms.

Watching Daniel and his friends as they take their quest to more promising areas on the other side of the Atlantic, there are times when one does want to shout at them “Have you heard of bears?” as some of their assumptions stretch the bounds of credulity, but to do so would be to miss the point. This is a context in which tough, outdoor-type ‘manly’ men allow themselves to get emotional, and that’s a healthy thing for any teenager to be around. It also allows them to share much more of themselves, making the film interesting to watch throughout. Of course, if one is watching as a believer, one might have another concern pressing on one’s mind – one which is never directly addressed here. Daniel is only a slight lad. He is not equipped with a weapon. It’s one thing to go looking for bigfoot, but what would he do if he found it?

Let’s just say that there are some unexpected discoveries here, and not all of the introspective or metaphorical variety – but this is very much a film about the journey and the friends one makes along the way, and it’s no poorer for that.

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