Project Nim (2011)
“The world will be a different place once you've seen it through his eyes.”
- 93 min
- Documentary
- 7.4/10 (8595 votes)
Plot
From the visionaries who brought you the Oscar-winning masterpiece, MAN ON WIRE, emerges another poignant tale, Project Nim. This absorbing film chronicles the extraordinary odyssey of Nim, a chimpanzee born into the wild yet catapulted into the world of human society during the 1970s. Deftly plucked from his mother at birth, Nim becomes the centerpiece of a groundbreaking experiment, a daring venture that dares to blur the line between man and beast.
Project Nim transports us to a brownstone nestled in the upper West Side, the unconventional cradle of Nim's upbringing. Here, he is nurtured like a human child, showered with affection, and immersed in human traditions, an attempt to coax out human language from a creature of the wild. His journey through human society unfolds before our eyes, an unvarnished revelation of an animal forced to don the mask of humanity.
Yet, as Nim's story unravels, it becomes more than just an exploration of a chimpanzee's life. It evolves into a mirror held up to our own society, a reflection that is at once comic and unsettling. Nim's interactions with the people he encounters leave indelible imprints, unearthing profound insights about his true nature - and startlingly, ours.
Project Nim is a candid and unsentimental biography of an animal thrust into the human world, a narrative that raises poignant questions about identity and the boundaries between human and animal. This film invites you to witness an unprecedented social experiment and to ponder the essence of communication, humanity, and ultimately, our place in the natural world.
Where to watch Project Nim?
Project Nim is a documentary movie featuring Bob Angelini and directed by James Marsh.
Project Nim is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy.
It is also possible to buy Project Nim on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.