Project Nim is a 2011 British Documentary directed by James Marsh. Project Nim was a experiment devised by Professor Herb Terrace, a specialist in primate cognitive abilities at New York's Columbia University. In 1973, he wanted to see if a chimp (Nim) could be taken into a human family and taught to communicate with sign language.
NY TIMES- "This documentary looks at the unsettling study of primate behaviour, focusing on the complex dynamics of power, sex and group bonding in a species whose startling capacity for selfishness and aggression is offset but occasional displays of intelligence and compassion. The film also features a chimpanzee."
Shortly after his birth at a institute for primate studies, Nim was taken from his mother and given to and old student of Herb. Nim was taken into her bohemian New York family. Nim became increasing possessive over his new 'mother' and aggressive towards her new husband. When Herb then gets the funding to continue Nim's education elsewhere he takes Nim away from his family and hands him over to a young teenager and in due course Nim, in effect, facilitates Terrace's affair with her. During his time at the estate Nim thrived with learning sign language, however continued to develop an attitude. An attitude for aggression that eventually led Nim to biting through the cheek of one of his teachers. Shortly after Herb decided he wasn't making enough progress who decided to end the project. Following this Nim was passed from a Primate Institute, test centre and to a ranch.
There is no doubt that project Nim is a story of emotional abuse. It looks at the unsentimental biography of an animal we tried to make human. For me personally I feel this film highlights how selfish and cruel humans can be, taking an animal away from his own species and trying to make it act and live like another. The people involved in project Nim especially professor Herb, are trying to play god, trying to humanise a wild animal.
Quotes from Film:
"You can't give an animal human nurturing that can hurt you."
"We made a commitment to him and failed."
"Its hard working with an animal not your species that has so much energy."
Knowing that I will soon be interviewing Shaun Ellis, a wolf expert who as devoted his life living with wolves. I can already identity the defining difference between his work and project Nim. He enters their world and allows them to teach him and in return learns about them as a species. Whereas project Nim tries to adapt Nim to become human to learn more about his species. And this clearly proves to be a failure.
Shortly after his birth at a institute for primate studies, Nim was taken from his mother and given to and old student of Herb. Nim was taken into her bohemian New York family. Nim became increasing possessive over his new 'mother' and aggressive towards her new husband. When Herb then gets the funding to continue Nim's education elsewhere he takes Nim away from his family and hands him over to a young teenager and in due course Nim, in effect, facilitates Terrace's affair with her. During his time at the estate Nim thrived with learning sign language, however continued to develop an attitude. An attitude for aggression that eventually led Nim to biting through the cheek of one of his teachers. Shortly after Herb decided he wasn't making enough progress who decided to end the project. Following this Nim was passed from a Primate Institute, test centre and to a ranch.There is no doubt that project Nim is a story of emotional abuse. It looks at the unsentimental biography of an animal we tried to make human. For me personally I feel this film highlights how selfish and cruel humans can be, taking an animal away from his own species and trying to make it act and live like another. The people involved in project Nim especially professor Herb, are trying to play god, trying to humanise a wild animal.Quotes from Film:
"You can't give an animal human nurturing that can hurt you."
"We made a commitment to him and failed."
"Its hard working with an animal not your species that has so much energy."
Knowing that I will soon be interviewing Shaun Ellis, a wolf expert who as devoted his life living with wolves. I can already identity the defining difference between his work and project Nim. He enters their world and allows them to teach him and in return learns about them as a species. Whereas project Nim tries to adapt Nim to become human to learn more about his species. And this clearly proves to be a failure.
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