Dr. Jane Goodall is a name you should be familiar with, the defiant naturalist who pioneered the study of chimpanzees in Africa back in the day known right around the world.
Although there have been multiple films and the like focusing on her life, on October 9, after housing footage of the early days of her work in Gombe National Park for more than 50 years, National Geographic premiered Jane.
Directed by Brett Morgen (The Kids Stay in the Picture and Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck), the documentary used “more than 100 hours of unseen footage shot by by her husband, Hugo van Lawick”, and “shows candid footage of her chimpanzee research which challenged the scientific consensus of her time and changed our understanding of the natural world”.
Morgen says Jane is a love story between a woman and her vocation – check the trailer:
The documentary gives an unprecedented, intimate portrait of Goodall, but has been a while in the making:
“Jane and I were reluctant participants in this project. I had this sinking suspicion that there had been a dozen of Jane Goodall films and the world didn’t need another one,” said Morgen.
Morgen said Goodall felt there had been too many ‘Jane Goodall’ films, so they both came into the project reluctantly.
“When I saw the footage and how it had been used, exclusively to only visually explain things, I saw there was an opportunity to create something emotional,” said Morgen. “I wanted to make a film that allowed and invited the viewer to go to Gambe with Jane and to experience things as they unfolded.”
And here’s Dr. Jane herself, chatting at the premiere:
You can pop over here for more information.
[source:forbes]
