<p><b>Now Elizabeth Hess&rsquo;s unforgettable biography is the inspiration for <i>Project Nim,</i> a riveting new documentary directed by James Marsh and produced by Simon Chinn, the Oscar-winning team known for <i>Man on Wire</i>. Hess, a consultant on the film, says, &ldquo;Getting a call from James Marsh and Simon Chinn is an author&rsquo;s dream. <i>Project Nim</i> is nothing short of amazing.&rdquo;</b><br><br>An adorable baby chimp, a loving family, and an experiment that changed the lives of all it touched . . .<br><br>Project Nim, the brainchild of a Columbia University psychologist, was designed to refute Noam Chomsky&rsquo;s claim that language is an exclusively human trait. Nim Chimpsky, the chimpanzee chosen to realize this potentially groundbreaking experiment, was raised like a human child and taught American Sign Language while living with his &ldquo;adoptive family&rdquo; in their elegant Manhattan town house. But when funding for the study ended, Nim&rsquo;s problems began. Over the next two decades he was exiled from the people he loved, put in a cage, and moved from one facility to another, including, most ominously, a medical research lab. But wherever he went, Nim&rsquo;s humanlike qualities and his ability to communicate with humans saved him. A creature of extraordinary charm and charisma, Nim ultimately triumphed over a dramatic series of reversals and obstacles. His story, both moving and entertaining, also raises the most profound questions of what it means to be human&mdash;and about what we owe to the animals who enrich our lives.</p>