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Philibert brings Nénette to 8th FICM

Cindy Hawes

Nénette, a 70-minute documentary about a female orangutan who lives at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, was not premeditated, he said, prior to the screening. He came across the 40-year-old orangutan from the rainforest of Borneo while walking in the French capital and decided to film her.

For the past 38 years, Nénette has lived in captivity, and peers out the window of her cage at the hundreds of visitors who parade by her each day.  They observe the animal while she observes them. “While the window serves as a barrier,” he said, “it also protects us, allowing us to come very close to Nénette.”

After the 10-day shoot, Philibert said he was able to better understand her behavior, although it is still very much a mystery. “We don’t know what she thinks,” he said.

As we observe Nénette through the glass, we hear the comments of those invisible individuals looking at her and those who take care of her. We find out that she has feelings very much like those of human beings – she gets depressed and can suffer from boredom. Strangely enough, “watching us keeps her from getting bored,” the director said.

Philibert, who is an invited guest at 8th FICM, said this is his second time at the Morelia Film Festival and that he was “thrilled to be here.”