Review of Project Nim (2011) by Liz H — 23 May 2012

A great documentary following a chimpanzee handpicked to be raised like a human child that signs, Project Nim trails his turbulent life that's simultaneously beautiful and tragic. Throughout, we see Nim the chimp raised, researched on, minded, tested on, imprisoned, and friended by hippies, linguists, caretakers, pharmaceutical companies, incompetent animal rights activists, and finally, his own kind.

More importantly, it doesn't sugarcoat the very real danger chimpanzees pose to humans, but also remembers to balance the bad with the good. At around an hour and a half, Project Nim just flies by, thanks to the well-edited narrative that enhances the already-fascinating subject matter, and brings up questions about animal experimentation, both in the lab as well as at home, that gives the documentary relevance.