An immersive journey into a previously hidden world, The Reason I Jump presents the experience of living with autism with an intimacy and artistry that is staggering in its presentation and incredibly important in its message.

The documentary, directed by Jerry Rothwell (How to Change the World), is an adaptation and expansion of the popular book by Naoki Higashida, a non-verbal Japanese man who at the age of 13 provided insight into what it is to be a non-verbal autistic person. His experiences proved invaluable not only to the scientific community (whose history with mental illness is barbaric at its worst), but also to families with an autistic child or sibling.

Rothwell uses Naoki’s book as a guide to explore the lives of other autistic people across the globe. There is Amrit from India, who expresses herself through art; best friends Ben and Emma from America, whose newfound ability to communicate through letter boards reveal an intelligence long ignored; and Joss from Britain, whose exuberance swings from extremes of happiness to violent anger.

Rounding out the group is Jestina from Sierra Leone. Her environment proves to be the most dangerous, with the stigma and prejudice surrounding mental illness still very much alive and well, exemplified by reports of autistic people ostracised and even killed. For her parents, they have taken on a life of advocacy and activism, knowing full well her survival depends on it.

Parents in the western world, where the science of mental illness has improved drastically, also hold strong fears for the future of their children. One day they will be gone, and their kids will be adults. As the father of an autistic boy myself, it is a scary thought. Just like we cannot predict the future, neither can we relate to what it is to see the world as they do. We share the hopes, the fears, the frustration, and the love, but not the insight. We simply cannot.

Rothwell attempts to provide that insight with the best of his filmmaking ability. Sound and light and colour are used to emote an experience that is often chaotic, and leans towards an obsessive relationship with the outside world. Sometimes it can all be overwhelming, but that is the point.

The Reason I Jump does not give the autistic a voice. They already have one. What the film does provide so successfully and importantly is a path to access that voice: intelligent, impassioned, inquisitive, artistic, and above all, worth fighting for.