THE REASON I JUMP
Based on the book by Naoki Higashida, this immersive film explores the experiences of non-speaking autistic people around the world.
At the age of thirteen Naoki Higashida, whose autism had rendered him aphasic, managed to write a book detailing exactly how he viewed the world thereby giving readers a first-person account of what living with his condition really felt like.
Travelling from Europe to America to Africa, Jerry Rothwell's superb documentary uses Higashida's insightful prose as a springboard, guiding viewers through what amounts to a foreign land while at the same time introducing us to the people who inhabit it. What emerges is a chaotic swirl of sensory overload, fear, and overwhelming frustration in which the autistic person's array of defences, including outbursts, repetitive behaviour, and word salad are misinterpreted as mental illness or even demonic possession. “An excellent and educational work” The Guardian
