Claire Keim lends her voice to the latest Disney nature film In the Kingdom of the Apes

Claire Keim is the voice of the last Disney nature film “In the kingdom of the apes”

The actress Claire Keim, godmother of the Hulot Foundation, is the voice of the last Disney nature “In the kingdom of the apes”, in theaters on November 11, 2015. Known for her commitment to humanitarian and environmental causes, the actress was chosen to tell the story of Maya, a young toque macaque, who struggles daily to survive among her family, a group of monkeys governed by a strict social hierarchy. Claire Keim, who is also the mother of a 7-year-old girl, recounts with gentleness and emotion how Maya braves dangers, day after day, to help her little one find a place in the jungle of Sri Lanka …

Follower of environmental subjects, what made you want to join the Disney nature project “In the Kingdom of the Apes”?

I knew the concept of Disney Nature. I always find their images extraordinary. I also learned that the Hulot Foundation was going to be a partner of the film with the Rajako program, which protects primates in Sri Lanka. It really is a great adventure combined with real action. In addition, I find that there are not many films that you can go to see with your children at the cinema, apart from Disney. Being able to show such beautiful images, in the middle of nature, is fabulous. I was really flattered that I was associated with this beautiful project.

The social hierarchy among toque macaques is difficult. Did you have any idea of ​​this strict organization?

Not at all ! I went to Sri Lanka about twenty years ago, I had met them in the same place, in Panameyoha. But I couldn’t imagine the hierarchical relationship between them at all. To be honest, I thought, naively, that in nature, everything is beautiful, that there is no injustice, no wickedness. And in fact no. Nature can be unfair, sometimes violent.

How did you experience the story of Maya, the mother macaque who fights for the survival of her newborn baby?

First of all, I discovered a movie star, an atomic bomb ! Maya is so pretty, so expressive, very intelligent and on top of that, she has a crazy story. Life has decided to give him an incredible destiny. I was very touched, obviously as a mother, since the goal of this little Maya is to survive and to offer a future to her son. The scene where she has her child stolen is so violent. She really struggles for the survival of her young, especially when he finds himself abandoned in the forest after passing through the hands of other rival female macaques. We see him alone, a few hours, far from his mother. It’s really difficult.

At certain times, one thinks of a tale of the Brothers Grimm, of Cinderella?

Yes quite. Recently, I was telling Maya’s story, explaining that she was a pretty female, from a lower social class, and as I went along, I realized that I was telling the story of a Disney princess. Yes, like Cinderella and her nasty sisters who make her see all the colors. In fact, this organization between the apes is a lot like a tale with the good guys on one side, at the bottom of the ladder, suffering, and the rest, the bad guys. And by dint of kindness, the heroine, Maya will succeed in escaping and climbing the social ladder of her clan, as in a fairy tale. It’s wonderful, it really moved me a lot.

Did you tell your daughter about this movie?

I haven’t shown the film to my daughter yet. I don’t tell him too much about my plans, actually. Often, my films or my plays are really only for adults. In fact, I realize that I compartmentalize a lot. En leaving, I can tell her that I am going to make a nice movie, that she will see it later. For the “Kingdom of the Apes”, I am very proud to introduce him to it.

Another important subject of the film is that of climate change which leads the monkeys to leave their natural habitat …

It’s a scary moment in the film. At the same time, we have fun with situations but we also feel that it is not ideal for the monkeys to be found in the city. Despite their ability to adapt, we understand that it is not their place to be there. We are afraid for them in this big city. This is the interest of the film. I loved being able to bring together a passion, ecology, and my profession as an actress, it was really the ideal project. And I am very happy to be able to talk about the cause of the monkeys, I love them very much, we quickly get attached to these little creatures! It’s super motivating.

Here is the trailer for the film “In the Kingdom of the Apes”