A feature documentary produced and directed by James Reed with Keo Films for Discovery International, exploring the extraordinary rise of the Ngogo Chimpanzees – the largest, most advanced chimp society on Earth.
Over the course of 23 years, the scientists of The Ngogo Chimpanzee Project in Uganda have documented the unique organisation and militaristic behaviour of the Ngogo chimps and their expanding empire in the forest. This film brings their work to life in an astonishing portrait of humanity’s closest relatives.
RISE OF THE WARRIOR APES was James’s second major project as a director and combined a story telling style developed on Jago with experience gained from years spent as a field producer on Disney’s CHIMPANZEE movie. The film was a huge critical success winning the 2018 Wildscreen Festival Golden Panda Award as well as awards for writing and animal behaviour. Warrior Apes represents a unique ability to combine the best of natural history filmmaking with character-driven storytelling, and was hailed as ‘Natural history’s first political drama’.
