Virunga

"Consider this: Only 880 Mountain Gorillas Remain in the World."

Orlando von Einsiedel, a former professional snowboarder, began making short documentaries in 2010 skating through the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan. He then continued working in Africa directing several shorts across the continent, and that is when a photograph of a group of rangers at Virunga National Park caught his attention. The story was far too compelling for a short, so he decided to direct his first feature documentary centering on the current situation in Congo. The Park rangers are completely committed to protecting the wild life where the world's remaining Mountain Gorillas live, but as in most of the African continent the unstable government situation has made their survival difficult. With rebel groups trying to fund their armies, the rich minerals present in the park are their means to it. But these dangerous rebel groups aren't the only enemy that the rangers face. SOCO, a British gas company, was given permission by the Congolese government to explore the territory for oil reserves. The contradiction is that Virunga is a protected park due to the endangered species living their. Through a series of interesting investigative work, a reporter named Melanie Gouby manages to befriend SOCO employees and discovers a link between them and the rebel groups. She also exposes the corruption behind some of the officials. What results is a fascinating documentary that gets more and more exciting as the story develops.

What Virunga does best is combine astonishing shots of the beautiful landscape of the park with the chaos that the country has been experiencing due to the rebel groups and corrupt government officials. The innocence of the baby gorillas playing with some of the rangers who are willing to sacrifice their lives for these animals is juxtaposed with the racial and distasteful comments of some of the employees trying to exploit the park. If this were a feature film, I'd say the villains were stereotypically played because their comments and actions are simply cringeworthy. But this is the real deal and it is a shame that these people think this way. Our lack of humanity is brilliantly portrayed and it easily contradicts the beauty of the park. While rebel groups create chaos and shoot innocent kids, gorilla caretakers like André Bauma are willing to risk their lives for the gorillas. In a touching scene he says "You must justify why you are on this Earth. Gorillas justify why I am here. They are my life." This takes place as the rebel groups close in on the park spreading fear through gunshots and explosions. So we get both sides of humanity in this touching documentary and that contradiction is what makes this such an exciting and upsetting film at the same time.

Being in the line of fire probably wasn't easy for von Einsiedel, but his bravery pays off because he has managed to direct a fascinating documentary which received a nomination at this year's Academy Awards. The way he allows his camera to capture the beauty of the park reminds us of what a great tourist attraction this place could be if it weren't for the danger that lurks in the area. The reason it hasn't become one of the world's main attractions is because of the constant war and instability of the region, but if there could be some way of reaching peace I'm sure their could be much more wealth found in tourism than in the minerals everyone's trying to exploit there. Virunga reminded me a lot of the universal theme found in films like Avatar dealing with corporate greed and corruption versus the beauty of nature and how our greed is destroying it. Virunga is a compelling watch and a documentary you won't regret experiencing.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

Virunga is a stunning film, part nature documentary, and part gritty exposé of the realities of life on the ground in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country that has been torn apart by conflict for thirty years.

Director Orlando von Einsiedel does an incredible job at telling a complex story - documenting the beauty and remarkable vitality of Virunga National Park, alongside a developing story of corruption and greed, as it is revealed that a British oil company, Soco International, has been exploring for oil with the park's boundaries.

The film features remarkable characters, from the gentle and fatherly gorilla carer Andre Bauma, through to the fearless French journalist Melanie Gouby, alongside the remarkable rangers who put their lives on to protect Congo's natural heritage.

To make this film even more engaging, the issues at its heart are still very much relevant, and even though oil company Soco agreed in June 2014 to halt exploration the park, the fight is still not over. I urge you to watch this film, and educate yourself on its surrounding campaign. This is not a story which should be forgotten.

"You must justify why you are on this earth. Gorillas justify why I am here. They are my life." - André Bauma, Virunga National Park

In a world where everyone at some point have been selfish or had an act of narcissistic behavior, how many people can say that?

I think everyone should know about it. It showed me selflessness, love that is unconditional despite the race, evil and goodness.

I think a movie is good if it creates a sense of doing, acting. A film which makes you want to do something beyond the movie seats, create a reality out of entertainment.

People say that is how a film touches one's soul, I say that is how a film creates reality for us. Not everyone has the same privileges we were born with, the same freedom or right. We all came to earth the same way but it does not mean we are able to have the same peace.

A film can show us exactly how we are more and how we can help, and this film did just that. It makes you think of what other ways to help.

I think everyone should watch it to get to reality, get a realization. A realization that maybe not all men are equal, but all beings are equal.

I saw this movie at the Docville festival in Leuven, Belgium. This a film festival with just documentaries. I had to choose between several movies and I'll never going to regret one second the choice I've made. I saw the mountain gorillas myself at Bwindi in Uganda so maybe my reaction is a little bit biased... The film is more than just a film about those magnificent animals. It's about how "we" cope with our resources but even more importantly how other people (e.g. the rangers) even give their lives to protect this. I wept during the film out of frustration but also out of an enormous respect for the film makers, rangers and everyone involved. I've had the chance to speak with Orlando von Einsiedel afterwards and it's one of the conversations that will stay with me forever. It's one of those movies that should be compulsory at school education, ... and a movie everyone should have in their collection!

A group of brave individuals risk their lives to save the last of the world's mountain gorillas; in the midst of renewed civil war and a scramble for Congo's natural resources.

We start with a broad overview of Congo history, and how outsiders helped ruined it. Unfortunately, as we soon find out, this is not just ancient history. We also see a British oil company's disregard for a World Heritage Site, and the human-gorilla interaction of those pledged to save it.

Sheri Linden described Virunga as an "urgent investigative report and unforgettable drama... a work of heart-wrenching tenderness and heart-stopping suspense". Beautifully put, Ms. Linden. Few people know much about the Congo, and this should open their eyes to how the people (and animals) are still being affected by colonization today.