561 Ratings

Project Nim

United Kingdom, 2011

Documentary

Synopsis

From the Oscar-winning team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who, in the 1970s, became the focus of a landmark experiment that aimed to prove an ape—if raised and nurtured like a human child—could learn to communicate using sign language.

Project Nim Directed by James Marsh

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Awards & Festivals

Sundance Film Festival

2011 | 2 wins including: World Cinema - Documentary (Directing Award)

Indiewire Critics' Poll

2011 | Nominee: Best Documentary

São Paulo International Film Festival

2011

National Board of Review

2011 | Winner: Top Five Documentaries

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Cast & Crew

Show all (47)

What are people saying?

Thomas Dods's rating of the film 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.
August 13, 2016 21:41
- 1
- 0
MichaelDub's rating of the film Project Nim
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.
January 24, 2019 17:55
- 2
- 0
Karen's rating of the film Project Nim
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.
January 08, 2015 22:55
- 1
- 0
Anita G's rating of the film Project Nim
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.
January 24, 2019 17:54
- 5
- 0
dave gunn's rating of the film Project Nim
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.
September 13, 2014 00:20
- 1
- 0
Xurxo G Penalta's rating of the film Project Nim
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
January 24, 2019 16:49
- 2
- 0
Matthew_Lucas's rating of the film Project Nim
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.
July 23, 2011 20:01
- 1
- 0
OFF_FRAME's rating of the film Project Nim
OFF_FRAME

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.
January 24, 2019 16:51
- 2
- 0

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Project Nim

Synopsis

Awards & Festivals

Cast & Crew

James Marsh Director

Nim Chimpsky Self

Stephanie LaFarge Self

Herbert Terrace Self

Elizabeth Hess Screenplay

Michael Simmonds Cinematography

Dickon Hinchliffe Music

Jinx Godfrey Editing

What are people saying?

Thomas Dods's rating of the film Project Nim

MichaelDub's rating of the film Project Nim

Karen's rating of the film Project Nim

Anita G's rating of the film Project Nim

dave gunn's rating of the film Project Nim

Xurxo G Penalta's rating of the film Project Nim

Matthew_Lucas's rating of the film Project Nim

OFF_FRAME's rating of the film Project Nim

In these lists

Related films

Man on Wire

The Imposter

Shadow Dancer

View from an Engine Front - Ilfracombe

View from an Engine Front: Barnstaple

Wisconsin Death Trip

The Burger and the King: The Life & Cuisine of Elvis Presley

Red Riding: 1980

Gorillas in the Mist

The King

The Theory of Everything

Project Nim

Synopsis

Synopsis

Awards & Festivals

Cast & Crew

James Marsh Director

Nim Chimpsky Self

Stephanie LaFarge Self

Herbert Terrace Self

Elizabeth Hess Screenplay

Michael Simmonds Cinematography

Dickon Hinchliffe Music

Jinx Godfrey Editing

What are people saying?

In these lists

Related films

The Cove

Louie Psihoyos United States, 2009

Man on Wire

The Imposter

Shadow Dancer

View from an Engine Front - Ilfracombe

View from an Engine Front: Barnstaple

Wisconsin Death Trip

The Burger and the King: The Life & Cuisine of Elvis Presley

Red Riding: 1980

Gorillas in the Mist

The King

The Theory of Everything