It's extraordinary that a thought-provoking film like this can vanish so completely from public view that it prompts only three reviews on IMDb. Schroeder, a French film-maker, heard about the controversy over a "talking" gorilla that had become pawn in a struggle between academia and the comparatively stupid zoological garden industry. He hurried to San Francisco and managed to get interesting film of Dr Jenny Patterson turning her adopted pet into a performing dog-ape. Thirty years later, she is still at it with Koko, and no one could call her a quitter. Meanwhile, Koko remains obstinately at a mental age of about three, just a little bit better than the age-two of the typical hound. Nevertheless, the film is a tantalising glimpse of the past of our own species, and the film initiates an ongoing discussion about the 'human' rights of animals, one that becomes increasingly urgent as the great apes, big cats, etc., approach complete extermination by mankind.
