An immersive experience of nonspeaking autistic people across the world, The Reason I Jump is based on a book written by Naoki Higashida when he was just 13.
The film follows a young Japanese boy on a journey through an epic landscape.
As a maelstrom of thoughts, feelings, impulses, and memories affects his every action, he gradually discovers what his autism means to him, how his perception of the world differs from others’, and why he acts the way he does, in short the reason he jumps.
Along the way, we meet children born with the same condition as the author: an artistic Indian girl named Amrit, a British teenager named Joss, American best friends Ben and Emma, and Jestina from Sierra Leone.
This realistic yet inspirational film shows their respective lives amidst daily struggles and personal victories.