Project Nim

Documentaries seem to be very popular in cinemas at the moment. This is the latest from the Academy Award winner of 'Man On Wire'.

The most fascinating thing about this film is how similar the story is to 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes'. If you take out the fact that the ape in this film is not on an experimental drug then the stories are virtually identical. I wonder if the writers of 'Planet' realise that the doctor in charge of Nim had the number plate 'CSR', Caesar in 'Planet'.

The other interesting thing about the story is the lack of knowledge these people had about what they were doing. You would think that if you're going to take on a significant experiment such as this that you would prepare yourself a little better. The family chosen to look after Nim did not have any experience of chimps and how they would develop. There was also very little recording taken of Nim's development with sign language, although there was research done at a lab the home life was not recorded. Nim being an animal does not behave in a civilised way so he attacks some of his human carers. I can see lawsuits happening if this project was conducted today. I admit that the intention of communicating with an animal is fascinating but you need to be better prepared.

As is typical with stories like this, the person or animal in this case, at its centre is the victim of human abuse. It is clear that Nim is being exploited and that once the project is finished he is rejected. Over the coarse of the film we come to care for Nim and his plight. There are a few humans who truly care for him but most don't seem to understand that they are using a living creature for their experiment.

For fans of 'Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes' this is a must see film. It shows how close we are to that film coming true.