“A work of cinematic alchemy.”
The Reason I Jump
Feature Documentary • 2020 • 82’ • UK / USA
Credits
Director:
Jerry Rothwell
Producers:
Jeremy Dear
Stevie Lee
Producer:
Al Morrow
Executive Producers:
Stewart le Maréchal, Jonny Persey, Peter Webber
Jody Allen, Paul G. Allen
Rocky Collins, Jannat Gargi, Ruth Johnston, Carole Tomko
Lizzie Francke
Based on the bestselling 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 five remarkable young people. It opens a window into an intense and overwhelming, but often joyful, sensory universe.
Acutely observed moments in the lives of each of the characters are connected by passages from Naoki’s writing, in which a young Japanese boy journeys through an epic landscape, gradually discovering what his autism means to him, 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.
Awards & Festivals
Audience Award
— Sundance Film Festival 2020 [World Premiere]
Impact Award
Audience Award
— Vancouver International Film Festival 2020
Best Sound
Best Documentary
Best Music [Nominee]
— BIFA
Best Feature [Nominee]
Best Director [Nominee]
— IDA Documentary Awards
Best Cinematography for Ruben Woodin Dechamps [Nominee]
— Critic’s Choice
Outstanding Achievement in Music for Nainita Desai [Nominee]
— Cinema Eye Honours
Public Award
— Festival Atmosphères 2020
Sorriso Diverso Award
(Best Foreign Film)
— Rome International Film Festival 2020
Segundo Premio
— Seminici Valladolid: TIEMPO DE HISTORIA
Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary
— Denver Film Festival 2020
One World Film Festival 2020
HotDocs 2020
AFI Docs 2020
DokuFest 2020
Millenium Against Gravity 2020
Mammoth Lakes Film Festival 2020
DocVille Film Festival 2020
Lemesos Int'l Doc Festival 2020
DMZ International Film Festival 2020
Athens International Film Festival 2020
Haifa International Film Festival 2020
Academia Film Olomouc 2020
BFI London Film Festival 2020
Hot Springs Film Festival 2020
Valladolid IFF - Semici 2020
Denver Film Festival 2020
Chicago Int’l Film Festival 2020
Ashland Indie Film Festival 2020
Bright Lights Film Series 2020
Milwaukee Film Festival 2020
Montclair Film Festival 2020
Tallgrass Film Festival 2020
Denver Film Festival 2020
DOC NYC 2020
EnergaCameraimage Int’l Film Festival 2020
Ajyal Film Festival 2020
SOLIDARITY Tel Aviv Human Rights Film Festival 2020
Istanbul Film Festival IKSV 2020
Hamptons Docs Film Festival 2020
New British Film Festival 2020
Reviews
“The Reason I Jump will change how you think, and how many films can say that?”
— Screen Daily
“A work of cinematic alchemy.”
— The Hollywood Reporter
“As emotionally piercing as it is beautiful to behold.”
— Variety
