Project Nim

Thomas Dods

Truly excellent documentary. Effectively criticises a franckly stupid project by showing more humanity in the chimp than any of the scientists around him who are looking to understand how far they can push his intelligence. Very interesting story.

MichaelDub

Great documentary. That's what I love MUBI for - you can discover films you would otherwise never see. As for the film - I think the relationships between the people involved in the project was more interesting than the communicating chimp.

Karen

Interesting documentary, and worth watching for its insight into the relationships between humans and animals – veering from romantic and idealized to cynical and cruel. But nearly every person in this film came across as hapless or deluded or, in the case of Dr Terrace, an asshole.

Anita G

This documentary is about a very ambitious man (Prof. Herbert Terrace) who stops at nothing to get what he wants in the name of research. He is/was a manipulative, vain man with scarce empathy and a thirst purely for his own academic achievement. Nim was one of the many casualties of his narcissism. Heartbreaking. A well composed documentary about the HUMAN condition.

dave gunn

This was an extremely upsetting documentary. Poor Nim was kidnapped shortly after birth from a traumatized and imprisoned mother, bounced between broken homes as a scientific novelty shared amongst amoral pseudo-intellectuals, and then imprisoned once again. No living being deserves this. Human beings sicken me.

Xurxo G Penalta

MUST WATCH. what starts as a awkward science project ends as an emotional and affecting statement for the humane treatment of animals. documenting the unforgivable mistreatment of a baby primate through decades of experiments, medical testing, changing environments and owners. an instructive film to accompany the entertaining yet loaded RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. both important films of this year 2011

Matthew_Lucas

Extraordinary documentary about a chimpanzee named Nim, who was the subject of a scientific experiment where he was raised as a human from infancy to study a chimp's ability to pick up human communication. What stars off as an adorable exercise in animal friendship becomes a tragic tale of betrayal and hardship, as Nim's growth makes him increasingly difficult to handle. A harrowing and intensely moving experience.

Matt Richards

Quite a frustrating watch at just the sheer retardation of everyone involved in the project. These people were supposed to be scientists but the doco has pretty much no science element to it; or not enough to present a more balanced view on one of the great failings of scientific curiosity in this instance. Poor old Nim. 3 stars.