Primate

Wiseman observes scientists in white coats at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, as they in term observe chimpanzees and orangutans. Conducting numerous experiments and intrusions (including sexual stimulation, the insertion of implants, vivisection), the researchers examine the behavior of the captive animals. PRIMATE is less about the research institution itself than about how both the animals and the human beings react. It is a key film in Wiseman's oeuvre, combining horror and science fiction, to show how a group of primates asserts its power over another group of primates. (hb)