Project Nim
An incisive documentary biography traces a chimpanzee’s passage through a human language experiment and exposes the ethical costs of trying to make an animal human.
Overview
A groundbreaking exploration of communication and connection between species unfolds in this poignant documentary.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- revealing
- unsettling
- thought provoking evening
- animal documentary night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the documentary as compelling, expertly constructed, and emotionally affecting while confronting the ethical consequences of the experiment.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nim’s biography is assembled from archive footage, interviews, and recollections by the researchers and caregivers involved in his experiment.
The language experiment treats Nim as a human-like child while the film questions what that framework obscures about chimpanzee nature.
Nim is transferred among researchers, caregivers, and institutions, exposing the costs of a landmark communication study.
The film presents Nim’s interactions with people as revealing and sometimes comic while maintaining an unsentimental, troubling perspective.
Films like Project Nim, and why
The Elephant in the Living Room
animal-centered documentary storytelling with ethical questions about human intervention and animal behavior
Blackfish
emotionally powerful nonfiction examination of human relationships with animals and the consequences of captivity
Project X
observational documentary about animal intelligence, communication, and the limits of human interpretation
Movie Details
- Director
- James Marsh
- Release Date
- 2011-07-08
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (146)
Cast
- Bob Angelini
- Bern Cohen
- Reagan Leonard
- Nim Chimpsky
- Stephanie LaFarge
- Herbert Terrace
- Wer LaFarge
- Jenny Lee
- Laura-Ann Petitto
- Bill Tynan
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Project Nim about?
- An incisive documentary biography traces a chimpanzee’s passage through a human language experiment and exposes the ethical costs of trying to make an animal human.
- What is Project Nim like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Project Nim as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Project Nim violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Project Nim as mild.
- What did critics think of Project Nim?
- Critics broadly praised the documentary as compelling, expertly constructed, and emotionally affecting while confronting the ethical consequences of the experiment.
- Which films are like Project Nim?
- Films with a similar feel include The Elephant in the Living Room, Blackfish, and Project X.
- How long is Project Nim?
- Project Nim runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Project Nim?
- In United States, Project Nim is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies, YouTube.
