Project Nim
This documentary revisits the archives relating to a Columbia University project that entailed chimpanzees and sign language. The pleasantly monikered Professor Herb Terrace led the 1970s project, whose subject was a chimpanzee called Nim. (Or, Nim Chimpsky, which is apparently his full name.) The archival material is supplemented by talking-heads contributions from parties who knew of the project and and Nim. In this way the speeches of these participants are heard practically without cessation for the duration of the movie. Tthere’s much talk on offer, therefore, but will the chimp get involved, we wonder?
There’s never a suggestion that the participants are being interviewed, thus giving the impression that they are talking spontaneously. They are presented sitting alone in a studio, like the Mastermind quiz. When we are introduced to them, we see them gazing directly at the camera without speaking, in case we can infer something by simply looking at them. Of course, it is of interest to witness how their present-day selves compare to their photos from the 1970s. The project took place in the 1970s New York and as a young chimp, Nim lived with a middle class “rich hippy” family who lived, how could it be otherwise, in a “brownstone”. It being the 70s, as one speaker, the mother of this family observes, drawing a laugh from the audience, Nim’s adoption wasn’t particularly noteworthy. What a terrifying decade that must have been to live through.
Given that we follow Nim over the course of his lifetime, this movie might have justifiably been called simply Nim. However, this would have not given due weight to how his relationships with humans affected him. At one stage, an intriguing lawyer character recounts how he had intended to give Nim “his day in court”, when Nim was used as a test subject for FDA regulated drug testing. The use of the personal pronoun is what’s interesting. Indeed, Nim is never referred to otherwise. Professor Terrace concluded that the project did not identify that Nim could use language. The continual use of “him” or “he”, on the other hand, points to Nim’s place in the highest ranks of the animal kingdom. Unfortunately, in my opinion, there’s little discussion about the larger implications. The material is presented "as is" and we are left to make up our own minds as best we can
This subject must have been gladly seized upon by the filmmakers. Here they have a “cast” of literate, opinionated and forthcoming subjects, many of whom, including a Grateful Dead fan who liked smoking dope with Nim, seem straight out of Central Casting. Furthermore, the archival material is extensive, including film and supplementary sources. This movie would be a good choice for a double bill with the recently-released Rise of the Planet of the Apes.