Skip to main content
Filmarian
All films
Poster for Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People
2016 · FILM

Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People

Released: June 15, 2016Runtime: 58 min

Documentary telling the extraordinary story of Koko, the only 'talking' gorilla in the world, and her lifelong relationship with Penny Patterson. Project Koko started as a PhD project to teach sign language to a baby gorilla, but as Koko began to communicate with Penny, an intense bond formed between them. Penny has now been with Koko for over 40 years and claims Koko can reveal fresh insights into the workings of an animal's mind. Koko's unique life with Penny has been filmed every step of the way. Over 2,000 hours of footage chart the most dramatic moments - Penny's battle to keep Koko from being taken back to the zoo in which she was born, Penny's clash with academic critics who doubted her claims and the image of Koko mourning the death of her kitten.

Rating
Sign in to rate

Related titles

No curated related titles yet. Use the edit affordance to add "More from this director", "Same franchise", or "Adaptation source material" entries — every change goes through the wiki review queue.

Sign in to claim that you worked on Koko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People. Claims go to a moderation queue and appear in the Self-Claimed Contributors rail once approved.

Technical specs

No technical specs (aspect ratio, sound mix, cameras…) documented yet. Know it? Add it →

Awards

No awards or nominations listed yet. Know it? Add it →

Connections

No connections (sequels, references, remakes…) mapped yet. Know it? Add it →

Soundtrack

No soundtrack documented yet. Know it? Add it →

Filming locations

No filming locations documented yet. Know it? Add it →

Your take
Seen it? Let the room know.
Progress
Runtime 58 min
h:mm or minutes
0% watched58 min left — enter where you stopped

Sign in to track, collect & rate — keep your watchlist, collection, and lists across the network.

Community tags

Be the first to tag this page — tags appear right away. Try a theme, mood, or subject (e.g. WWII, heist, slow burn, time travel, A24).