Taken from his mother at two weeks old, Nim was a chimpanzee raised among humans in an experiment to see if chimpanzees could learn sign language and communicate with humans. Project Nim, a documentary made by the same team that made the Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire, covers Nim’s story from his birth in 1973 to his death in 2000. And what a story it is. From his early days in a brownstone on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to an estate in Riverdale, NY, an animal testing lab, and ultimately to an animal sanctuary in Texas. And what did they learn? A chimp is a chimp and should never be taken from his mother.

The story is masterfully told by the filmmakers in this funny, provocative, touching and extremely worthwhile documentary.

Rent Project Nim on iTunes

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