Director Brett Morgan has helped to reinvent and redefine the way we, as audiences, view the documentary genre through his latest film Jane.

This National Geographic documentary portrays an intimate insight into the life and work of the world renowned conservationist – Jane Goodall. Exploring her incredible journey as she ventures alone into chimpanzee domains to study and document the animal’s behaviour first hand. Her findings shake the scientific world to its core and challenge preconceptions of chimpanzees (which at the time society knew almost nothing about).

The narration of the film is truly a work of art. It breaks from the conventions documentaries have been criticised as stuck in over recent years. Instead choosing to portray the events as a genuinely riveting story by seamlessly merging hundreds of hours of archive footage and stringing it into a poignant and visually rich documentary that plants you feet first in Jane’s discoveries.

The documentary not only explores with flawless footage the lives of the monkeys and their quirky behaviour, it effectively draws on themes of Jane’s own life as well. One scene in particular that springs to mind is the adorable chimpanzee mother and child interacting with Jane as she earns their trust. It’s an incredible spectacle which simultaneously explores Jane’s own journey through motherhood.

The film is hard to picture without the supporting score. Which powers throughout each scene aiding to the majesty of the first hand footage and truly forming the films identity.

Jane is a powerful work of art that entertains and adds life to the documentary genre and is certainly not one to miss.
I look forth with keen interest to see what work Brett Morgan comes out with next.

Jane is screening at thescreen Stortford on Monday 29 January and Wednesday 31 January – book tickets now.