THE REASON I JUMP Feature Films

Following the film, watch a recorded discussion led by Disability Rights Activist Lawrence Carter Long with director Jerry Rothwell, producer Jeremy Dear and subjects Elizabeth Vosseller, Ben and Emma.

Opening a window into the sensory universe of five nonspeaking autistic people from around the world, THE REASON I JUMP takes the audience on a uniquely cinematic journey that is both revelatory and inspiring. Based on the remarkable best-selling book by 13-year-old Naoki Higashida, the film brilliantly blends its portraits with Higashida’s own insights into autism.

Acutely observed moments in the lives of each of the five people are connected by passages from Higashida’s writing, which comes to life in scenes featuring a young Japanese boy. As the boy travels through an epic landscape, he gradually discovers what his autism means to him and why he acts the way he does: the reason he jumps. Winner of the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Audience Award.
–Ken Jacobson