1 x 90 mins

The incredible story of a female chimpanzee raised as a human, and the woman who tried to give her freedom, by living with her in the wild. The strength of their emotional bond is a fascinating exploration of what unites and also divides humans from apes.... In 1960s America, chimpanzee Lucy was raised as a human in a radical experiment devised by a psychology professor from University of Oklahoma. From two days old, Lucy lived in his comfortable family home as if she was his human daughter. But as she grew large and dangerous, a plan was made to send her to Africa to learn to be a wild chimp. A young student called Janis Carter, employed to care for Lucy, was asked to go along to help her adjust. Janis and Lucy arrived in The Gambia, West Africa in 1977. As Lucy struggled to adapt they needed to separate, but were drawn closer than ever. Choosing to stay with Lucy, Janis gave up her life back home in America. Lucy still thought of herself as human and Janis lived more like a chimp to show her how to live in the wild. Through years of hardship and setbacks, Janis persevered until Lucy began to change. She stayed with Lucy on a remote uninhabited island for over 6 years. The story takes us back to a very different time in terms of our attitudes to animals, but has a powerful message for today. The film uses previously unseen archive film and photographs plus dramatic reconstruction. Computer generated “virtual sets” were used to bring to life locations in The Gambia and USA. Using the same technology as Disney+’s The Mandalorian, sets are ‘built’ in a computer gaming engine and displayed on a high-resolution LED wall that wraps around the physical sets and actors. Sensors track the camera to follow its movement, creating a realistic parallax effect that creates the illusion of a real space. This is the first known use of this technology in unscripted television production.
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Starring: Janis Carter

Writers: Directed by Alex Parkinson

Produced By: Keo Films

Broadcaster: Channel 4 and HBO Max | Year of Production: 2021