Project Nim 2011

Overview

Project Nim is a 2011 documentary film directed by James Marsh. The film explores the life of a chimpanzee named Nim Chimpsky, who served as the subject of a landmark research project during the 1970s. This experiment sought to determine whether a primate could learn to communicate using American Sign Language if raised and nurtured in a human environment like a child. The documentary follows Nim’s journey through human society and examines the lasting impact he had on the individuals he encountered during his life. Described as an unflinching and unsentimental biography, the film documents the efforts to make the animal human while reflecting on what the experience reveals about both chimpanzee and human nature. The production team behind the film is the same group responsible for the documentary Man on Wire. The cast includes Bob Angelini, Bern Cohen, and Reagan Leonard. The film has a runtime of one hour and thirty-three minutes and was released in the United States on July 8, 2011.