8. Project Nim (2011)
The animal kingdom is not a new fascination. We have been seeking to understand these creatures that vastly outnumber us since we first discovered their existence. Apes in particular firmly grab our attention. We share so much in common with these animals yet there are so many things that keep us separate. The most obvious of these boundaries is the ability to communicate with one another. Noam Chomsky theorized that the development of language was inherently human. Chomsky observed that exposed to the same linguistic information, a human child will acquire the ability to understand and produce language while an animal will not. In the early 1970s, Columbia University behavioral psychologist Herbert Terrace set out to prove Chomsky wrong. At two weeks of age, a chimpanzee punnily named Nim Chimpsky was introduced to his new, and entirely human, family. Nim was treated like a child and was communicated with through the use of American Sign Language. While initially a study of language in animals it quickly became more than that. The concept alone is something that could only have come from the 1970s. To not only introduce what is most definitely a wild animal into your home but to also treat that animal in the same manner that you would a child of your own seems crazy. The individuals involved however present it as if it is completely normal. The young Nim is absolutely adorable and the similarities to a small child are abundant. However, as he ages the drama begins to unfold. The participants struggle to maintain a hold on the true purpose of their study and emotions overpower all reason. Director James Marsh, of
Man on Wire fame, is able to carry the audience through the valley of unbelievability and allows us to connect with the family and most importantly Nim.
Project Nim is interesting as an examination of language in apes but it excels in its ability to yank on your heartstrings.