What happens when a chimpanzee is taken from its mother, placed inside a house with a family, and treated like another one of the children? That’s the premise behind the experiment conducted by Columbia University psychologist Professor Herbert Terrace, who wanted to know if a chimpanzee, raised and loved like a human, could learn to communicate through sign language.
A Chimp Named Nim
The project concerns a little chimp named Nim Chimpsky (a tribute to linguist Noam Chomsky), who grows from baby boy to adult male over the years, adapting to his ever-changing environment with a mixture of animalistic and seemingly human characteristics. He begs for food, likes to play, craves affection, and shirks his lessons just like any child. However, when he gets angry as an adult male, watch out. Razor-sharp teeth, massive strength, and unleashed rage make for a dangerous housemate as the revolving group of teachers, linguists, and handlers eventually learn.
The Human Elements
Like other popular documentaries about science, such as Space Tourists and Encounters at the End of the World, this film focuses on the human elements rather than the science to keep viewers engaged. Nim’s seemingly “human” displays of love, disturbing acts of lust, and sudden violent outbursts prove far more engaging than his rates of growth and rudimentary understanding of language. As the story progress, it’s apparent that placing a naturally fierce beast among a human family wasn’t the smartest – or safest – idea for an experiment.
Was Project Nim Worth the Cost?
The human element also comes into play from the opposite point of view. Especially in the beginning and ending of the doc, it becomes clear Nim has strong emotions and suffers tremendously from each separation, change of scenery, and betrayal. Was it worth the cost (in dollars and in suffering) for the chimp and the humans to gain the knowledge from this experiment? Did the professor’s personal involvement with some of the women involved in the project influence the results? Should the experiment ever be repeated with adjustments made for lessons learned?
Viewers are left to their own conclusions with this interesting, though-provoking, and sometimes heart-breaking story told through archival footage, new interviews, and dramatic re-enactments.
Project Nim
- As a scientific experiment, a chimpanzee was raised in a family and treated like a human to see if it could communicate through sign language.
- Director: James Marsh
- Genre: Documentary
- Run Time: 93 minutes
- Rating: PG-13 (for language, sexual themes, and some violence)
- Additional Information: This film was the opening night movie for the 2011 Florida Film Festival. To watch a trailer for Project Nim and learn more about the film, click here to visit the website.
- 4/5 Very Good
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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