MOVIE REVIEW

THE REASON I JUMP: A BREATHTAKING INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF AUTISM

BY TOMER ZILBERSHTEIN

"Naoki couldn't possibly have written it. Autistic people [who can write] like Naoki are in a bit of a double bind. Some people will not believe that he had written the book. Or, some people believe that he had written the book, but therefore he can't properly be autistic. Only a little bit autistic."

GOOD REASON: 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 The Reason I Jump is a breathtaking insight into the autistic world of a delightful community. It can be painfully cumbersome trying to explain what it's like being autistic, particularly for nonverbal autistics, but what writer Naoki Higashida has done with this brilliant, prosaic personage, despite an utter lack of role models on which to draw from, will forever change the landscape that we must navigate.

Naoki has created a resource which empowers us to speak through him when words escape our mouths, and our abilities fall short of our intents and desires. Pride sits in my stomach, filling me with tears of joy as Naoki captures sentiments that I would not have the guts to explore in the vivid authenticity that fills his monologues.

As an autistic self-advocate, my diagnosis is often met with disbelief. Surely someone as "functional" as I cannot be properly autistic. I must be advocating on behalf of a family member or friend. There is widespread misconception about the autistic experience, namely, that there is one single experience that all autistics share. Autism exists on a spectrum of spectra, and like snowflakes, us autistics are all unique. The pervasive idea that autistics cannot function on a level akin to that of a neurotypical member of society is one of the most damaging to the progress being made for neurodiverse pluralism.

Despite my own ability to speak and write eloquently, I still at times feel trapped when communicating, as if there could be no combination of words which I could use to express my thoughts. Yet Naoki, trapped within his own confines, masterfully paints a portrait of an experience so refined that many would consider his words as plagiarism of an autistic's experience. That is the sad shame of our world, but one which Naoki is helping to change. By providing the opportunity for others to challenge ourselves, we are giving them opportunities to challenge their own ideas of who we are. The greatest weapon is the pen, a tool which can leave even the most hulkish of brutes vulnerable. In that vulnerability is where we open ourselves, and others, to understanding.

We all face limitations, but Naoki shows us how one can break those bounds and redefine one's potential. This story is as insightful into the human experience overall as it is into the autistic experience. We all have something to learn from this transformative journey.•

As the time of publication, The Reason I Jump is only available online on virtual cinemas. You can check the complete list of virtual cinemas that are showing the film and purchase screening tickets on Kino Marquee at kinomarquee.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tomer Zilbershtein is an autistic self-advocate and founder of the Tangency Foundation, a nonprofit activism literacy organization. By developing the infrastructure for effective activism, Tomer hopes to empower the plurality of stakeholder groups of contemporary social, environmental, and economic issues to pursue and advocate for systemic change and address the needs of their communities. Tomer is always searching for new opportunities to partner with communities to develop innovative strategies, resources, and partnerships for activism campaigns. You can reach out to Tomer at tomer@prettyplanet.org