A new nature documentary is out on Netflix, and since Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali narrates it, people have been incredibly excited to see the series and the Chimp Empire Twitter reactions show that. It is directed by James Reed, the Academy Award-winning director of My Octopus Teacher, and the story focuses on the chimpanzees in the Ngogo Forest. However, something really interesting happens in the forest, leading them to believe this documentary must be made.
We share 98% of our DNA with this species, and we know almost little to nothing about them. While this is an informative piece of art, the writer-director also tries to take a closer look into the motivations and the politics that link them to humanity so closely. Apart from the physical features that we share similarities with, their social structures are also created similarly. While generally, the species of chimpanzees found in the only roam in groups of 50 to 60, this community had over 120 chimps living together in harmony.
They, too, employ a hierarchal structure that is easily contestable. Now that the group was splitting in half ceremoniously, it was assumed that there would be some kind of tension which would result in an outright altercation or a slow and negotiable understanding of enemy territory. Now that scientists are incredibly surprised by this development, they find it best to document the behaviour and see what it reaps and what it explains about this class of chimps in general.
The two groups split were the Western Ngogo and the Central Ngogo group. While some had taken to understand that there might be some reconciliation, others had started to choose their teams and mentally bet on which group would be coming out on top. Others have taken to chomping on their popcorn while seeing all the drama unfold in front of them like a film they cannot take their eyes off of. Reed has the ability to make documentaries about animals, some of the most human things we have seen, and this is just one of those films.
For this series, the crew followed these chimps for a year documenting their behaviour and their evolution from a single group to a split and fractioned region. In fact, the chimps have their own border patrol guards and keep their rivalry extremely alive among each other. Mahershala Ali really carries this series with the deep gravitas and booming, resounding voice he brings to the show. Fans are less interested in that, though. They are only here for the drama.
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Chimp Empire Twitter Reactions
Chimp Empire is currently streaming on Netflix. What did you think of the documentary? Let us know in the comments below.
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