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Chimpanzee: Disney Nature    by Christopher Boesch & Sanjida O'Connell Amazon.com order for
Chimpanzee
by Christopher Boesch
Order:  USA  Can
Disney, 2012 (2012)
Hardcover
* *   Reviewed by Bob Walch

Another of their movie tie-ins, this latest Disney book focuses on the making of the feature length film Chimpanzee. Conceived by Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, the movie follows the lives of a group of chimps living in the Tai National Park, a rain forest in West Africa's Ivory Coast.

The chimps here have been observed and studied for over three decades by Dr. Christopher Boesch from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. Thanks to this film, the species has been introduced to the general public in a way not seen before. This well illustrated and informative volume chronicles the making of this groundbreaking production.

The reader will follow the process from the time the idea was pitched to Disney to the challenges that took place trying to film in a wild setting. Over the three years it took to shoot the film there were many setbacks as well as moments of heart rendering success. All these challenges are discussed in the narrative. Once the stars of the project, Oscar and Freddy, are introduced, they'll win the reader's heart just as they captured the emotions of the movie audience.

The unusual relationship that developed between these two chimps is captured in this book, as is the account of how their story was developed for the big screen. If you saw and enjoyed the movie, you'll love this book. But even if you didn't make it to the film, you'll still find this a fascinating and very enjoyable read.

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