Based on the best-selling book by Naoki Higashida, THE REASON I JUMP is an immersive cinematic exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world. The film blends Higashida's revelatory insights into autism, written when he was just 13, with intimate portraits of fie remarkable young people. It opens a window for audiences into an intense and overwhelming, but often joyful, sensory universe.
Moments in the lives of each of the characters are linked by the journey of a young Japanese boy through an epic landscape; narrated passages from Naoki's writing reflect on what his autism means to him and others, how his perception of the world differs, and why he acts in the way he does: the reason he jumps.
The film distils these elements into a sensually rich tapestry that leads us to Naoki's core message: not being able to speak does not mean there is nothing to say.
5 day rental • NR • 82 min.
“It's as emotionally piercing as it is beautiful to behold...”
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Variety
"There is a gap between what I'm thinking and what I'm saying. It's like a reflex reacting to what I've just seen in some cases. Or to some old memories. As if I'm drowning in a flood of words. The big exception is words or phrases I'm familiar with. Like playing a game of catch with a ball."
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Naomi Higashida
"This is a wondrous work... that enlightens and informs but that is also ravishing to behold."
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The Hollywod Reporter