Though the film does not shy away from showing the tantrums and incessant screaming prevalent among nonverbal autistic children, the moving interviews with their parents show the deep love and commitment they have for their children and their understanding that these fits of anger come from a place of despair at the inability to communicate rather than from malice. Many conversations about autism can focus on the burdens autism brings to the parents of autistic children and at worst can depict autism as an incurable disease. Throughout the film, The Reason I Jump carefully works to openly depict the struggles of autism without falling into common pitfalls of poor representation. Many who interact with these teens may even assume that their lack of verbal communication points to some sort of mental impairment when this is certainly not the case. They have often found themselves alienated from their peers and disregarded in their public education as those around them are unable or unwilling to find a form of communication that works for them. It can prove difficult for these teens to express their thoughts and emotions when they have been born into a world that expects speaking to be the default form of communication.
While many people on the autism spectrum mask their traits in order to blend into “normal” society , The Reason I Jump focuses on individuals with nonverbal autism who largely or entirely do not speak.
Through their stories, The Reason I Jump attempts to show that at their core, autistic individuals have the same hopes, fears and dreams as everyone else, but the way the world is structured often presents serious barriers to their personal advancement and place in neurotypical society. Utilizing quotes from the original book for narration, the documentary intercuts interviews with the individuals’ parents as well as contributions from some of the individuals themselves.
Enter The Reason I Jump.īased on the book of the same name by Naoki Higashida, a 13 year old writing of his own experience growing up with autism, The Reason I Jump is a documentary following the lives of five young people from around the world with autism which attempts to share some of the unique ways in which they perceive the world around them and communicate. When I heard April is National Autism Awareness month, I wanted to find some form of media that could better educate me on what life is like for those with autism. The most I have heard about organizations and media surrounding autism are the negative examples such as Sia’s 2021 film Musicand Autism Speaks, an organization that frames autism as a terrible disease in need of a cure. Despite its prevalence though, I have not come across much media that positively depicts and educates about autism.
According to the World Heath Organization, about 1 in 100 children have some form of autism. I know that awareness for autism has grown within my lifetime and that more people are diagnosed early on. 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.If someone asked me this question, I would have to answer honestly with, “Not much.” I know that autism exists along a spectrum and that someone having autism could mean a variety of things. 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. It opens a window for audiences into an intense and overwhelming, but often joyful, sensory universe. The film blends Higashida's revelatory insights into autism, written when he was just 13, with intimate portraits of five remarkable young people. 2020 Sundance Audience Award Winner (World Cinema, Documentary)Ģ021 British Independent Film Awards Winner (Best Documentary, Best Sound)īased 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.
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