About: Nénette

Nénette is a 2010 French documentary film about a 40-year-old female orangutan living in the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, (the zoo in Paris, France). The film, directed by Nicolas Philibert presents an intimate portrait of the ape, originally from Borneo, who has spent most of her life in captivity. In accord with the Cinéma vérité style of Philibert's earlier works, the camera rests on Nénette and her son Tübo in their glass-fronted enclosure. We hear the conversations and see the reflections of the zoo visitors in the glass as they regard Nénette, a mother of four who has survived three mates.