Hi Freedomfromdesire and a warm welcome to the group. Unfortunately I don't have time at the moment to look at the video you mention. However I don't think its a good idea for newcomers to Buddhism to get sidetracked speculating about rebirth, when Buddha's core teachings for this present lifetime are far more important. Focus on those, is my brief advice for now. Whether one might have been a monkey or not is completely irrelevant ! One aims to understand the teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path and develop practices to increase understanding and reduce suffering in this present lifetime. With kind regards, Aloka-D