Director: James Marsh.
Producer: Simon Chinn.
Release Date: Premiere – Sydney Film Festival 2011, Australian Wide – TBA
In On Natural Selection, Charles Darwin wrote, “Nothing is easier than to admit in words the truth of the universal struggle for life, or more difficult.” While Darwin did not write this with any particular animal in mind, his words have strong importance to James Marsh’s new documentary feature Project Nim, an inspirational, heartfelt and tragic exploration of the first chimpanzee to be taught sign language and his consequential life. For as Marsh examines the tumultuous life of one intelligent animal, he asks the audience to consider the universal struggle of all animals when science and human interest take precedence above each creatures natural existence.
Following on from his 2008 Academy Award winning film Man On Wire (Best Documentary Feature) Marsh directs the story of Nim, a chimpanzee who became the centre of a landmark US 1970s’ science experiment which aimed to answer the question regarding nature verses nurture by showing that an ape could learn to communicate through sign language if raised like a human. Exploring his childhood in the adeptly dubbed ‘Project Nim’ and his adult journeys through an unnatural human society, the documentary questions what we really know about the true nature of animals and the impact of our actions upon it.
Documentaries, in general, are hard movies to make, as the right balance of information and story are needed so as to avoid becoming overtly preachy or sappy. However, when this balance is achieved a documentary can become some of the finest pieces of cinema on offer. Project Nim is a clear example of just that. Due to Marsh’s talented directorial skills, the film avoids becoming a stern lecture about the woes of animal exploitation by encouraging the audience to engage with Nim as an equal, rather than just an animal.
Through the intercutting of archival footage of Nim’s life and first hand interviews, Marsh creates an atmosphere whereby the audience doesn’t just learn about Nim’s life but they feel it too. Supported by a perfectly developed musical score by Dickon Hinchliffe, the audience is drawn into an environment where they share Nim’s happiness, fear and pain, while at the same time being enlightened on affect that human intervention had upon all of this. While the audience empathises with Nim’s experiences, the cleverly integrated historical and scientific information reminds the audience that this is not a natural existence and one that could have been avoided. This allows the dramatic brutality of Nim’s later life to really sink in with the audience, in an informative and, largely, emotional way.
For Project Nim is not a straight forward documentary about a scientific project, it is an excellent biography about the life of one incredible chimpanzee. Due to Marsh’s commitment to both the emotional and informative nature of Nim’s story, the audience is encouraged to empathise with Nim on a human level while never forgetting the unnatural influence humanity had upon it. Similar to Darwin’s argument, Marsh confronts the audience with a statement that is both easy and difficult to comprehend. If life is a natural struggle then why are we making it so much harder on animals who are, naturally, no different from us? For if we don’t want to struggle through life, why should they?
For those still unsure about this film, I advise you check out the trailer below. This movie is definitely worth the price of an admission ticket.
The Film Dissection 