| Ape and Super-Ape | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Bert Haanstra |
| Written by | Bert Haanstra Anton Koolhaas |
| Produced by | Bert Haanstra |
| Narrated by | Anton Koolhaas Alexander Scourby |
| Cinematography | Anton van Munster |
| Edited by | Bert Haanstra |
| Music by | Otto Ketting |
| Distributed by | Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Social Welfare |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch |
Ape and Super-Ape (Dutch:Bij de beesten af) is a 1972 Dutchdocumentary film directed byBert Haanstra. It was nominated for anAcademy Award forBest Documentary Feature.[1][2]
The film is also notable for featuring extensive documentary footage of the life ofpenguins onAntarctica 33 years before another documentary film,March of the Penguins (2005) focused on the same subject.[3]
The film is a study of the differences and similarities between human and animal behaviour. The first part of the movie focuses on the behaviour of various animal species. The second half is about the behaviour of humans, often intercutting with footage of animal behaviour. In the original Dutch version writerAnton Koolhaas, who also wrote the script, provided the voice-over.
Haanstra had already shown interest in human and animal behaviour in his previous films, likeZoo (1961).Ape and Super-Ape analyzed these similarities on a much larger scale. In preparation for this documentary Haanstra and his camera crew traveled across the world for three years. They filmed animals and people in many different continents (Africa andAntarctica get extensive attention), while the well known Dutch ethnologistGerard Baerendts was consulted for scientific advice.
Haanstra would later make two other documentaries about animals:Nationale parken... noodzaak (1978) andChimps onder elkaar (1984).