Written by Daryll Williams

Virunga National Park is a place like no other. Its history, biodiversity, and overwhelming beauty distinguish it from anywhere else in Africa. Yet, these constant, long-standing resources are being threatened. Virunga — a documentary by London-based filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel — is a breakneck tour of developments in the park. This place is not only a physical treasure but the epicentre of an almost unbelievable 21st-century geopolitical nightmare.

And the story’s wild enough to make you go bananas 🍌🦍

December’s Binge: Virunga

“Everything on our planet is connected.”

Run time: 104 minutes

Documentarian Orlando von Einsiedel opens his first feature with a brief history of the colonial horrors that have afflicted Africa, leading up to the latest: the claim of a discovery of oil in Virunga National Park. This discovery in the Democratic Republic of Congo has kicked off another round of exploitation of natural resources driven by outsiders — in this case, British oil company SOCO — and nurtured by cash-hungry local militias. Von Einsiedel introduces us to 4 inhabitants of the world’s only sanctuary for mountain gorillas. The love and devotion of their human keepers is sweet yet plaintive, for they know just how endangered these magnificent and gentle creatures are. (They’re sensitive, too: they are distressed by the sounds of battle nearby.) He follows a French journalist and a Belgian conservationist who work with the Congolese rangers battling poachers and investigating the tendrils of SOCO’s influence and other dangers to the animals and the park in general.

The sustainability factor

Overall: 4/5

With its long history of colonisation and exploitation of its natural resources, the Congo remains a place that generates enormous wealth while most of its people are impoverished. Von Einsiedel’s gutsy, damning film makes it clear that the colonial spirit lives on in the form of Western corporate interests. 

How can it possibly be legal to exploit a World Heritage Site? Of course, it isn’t, but bribery goes a long way in a poor place. The awfulness that von Einsiedel uncovers stirs hopelessness and anger. Yet, he opposes it with an example of courageous human-driven sustainability in the face of opposition.

The Viatu review

Themes:

The documentarians do an excellent job at immersing us in the widespread conflicts of the Congo . Initially presenting the ranger’s daily task of tracking and stopping poachers within the park, the film gains momentum as the odds are continuously stacked against the activist. The oil company SOCO uses bribery, intimidation, and politics to try and further its goal. However, Virunga beautifully lets us into the struggle of survival with heart-rending stories of heroism, courage, tragedy, and hope. 

Production: 

The film sticks true to being a mix of investigative journalism and nature documentary. Von Einsiedel, who spent months on end in a tent camping in the park to create the documentary, captures striking action-packed shots that are the daily reality in Virunga. Von Einsiedel strived to expose SOCO’s corruption to the world through film, which is exactly what he did.

What makes it different: 

The film manages to shine a light on this desperately complex and beautiful part of Africa. In particular, the political, social, and economic forces at work in a region that, despite the troubled history of the park, shows a handful of inspiring individuals trying to make a difference. Truthfully, a thrilling screenplay could have been written about this dramatic story, but the truth gets its due in this riveting documentary format. A caretaker of the gorilla orphans also beautifully sums up the dedication of those protecting this park: “We must justify why we are on this earth. For me, gorillas justify why I am here. This is my life.”

December’s Netflix & Change is one written in support of the continuous upward climb towards a safer, more sustainable planet for all of earth’s inhabitants.

We’re on a mission to do just that. Join our green revolution over on Instagram.