MONTHLY NEWS
August 1998

Documentary on the Life of a Disabled Monkey

A film documenting the life and death of Mozu, a female Japanese monkey that raised her offspring despite having impaired hands and legs, was recently completed and shown to the public.

Mozu, handicapped since birth, was born in 1971 at a monkey park in Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture. She died in July 1997 of old age.

The film director, Masanori Iwasaki, first encountered Mozu in 1978 when he visited the monkey park to film a TV program. Mozu was pregnant at that time, and Iwasaki was curious to see how a disabled monkey like Mozu would raise her baby. He decided to document her life and asked a park warden to call him as soon as she gave birth.

Iwasaki was impressed by the affection Mozu showed her child and continued to film her closely for 19 years until her death last year. The footage was recently compiled into a documentary entitled Nihonzaru Mozu: Nijuroku Nen no Shogai(The 26-Year Life of Mozu, a Japanese Monkey). The film is based on two earlier documentaries that Iwasaki produced on Mozu's life and includes additional images of Mozu's grown-up offspring and her death.

"Mozu was incredibly strong and patient," Iwasaki explains. "Even when she could hardly walk from a hip injury, she would crawl along the ground to follow her fellow monkeys. She also had the strength to overcome a serious illness that nearly killed her."

The director says he hopes viewers will appreciate the mutual love between Mozu and her child in the way they groomed each other and how her offspring stayed by her side as she hobbled along in the snow.

Photo: Mozu and one of her offspring. (Gunzosha)