Virunga
Director
Orlando von Einsiedel
Producer
Joanna Natasegara
Genre
Documentary
Release
2019
Executive Producer
Leonardo DiCaprio
Duration
90 Minutes
About

Virunga is the incredible true story of a group of brave people risking their lives to build a better future in a part of Africa the world’s forgotten and a gripping expose of the realities of life in the Congo.

In the midst of war, a team of brave individuals risk their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas.

The Story

In the forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth and home to the planet’s last remaining mountain gorillas. In this wild, but enchanted environment, a small and embattled team of park rangers - including an ex-child soldier turned ranger, a caretaker of orphan gorillas and a dedicated conservationist - protect this UNESCO world heritage site from armed militia, poachers and the dark forces struggling to control Congo's rich natural resources. When the newly formed M23 rebel group declares war, a new conflict threatens the lives and stability of everyone and everything they've worked so hard to protect, with the filmmakers and the film’s participants caught in the crossfire.

A Netflix Documentary. Presented by Bertha Foundation, Britdoc Foundation and Violet Films. In association with Appian Way. A Grain Media Production.

Showcasing the best and the worst in human nature, Orlando von Einsiedel’s devastating documentary Virunga wrenches a startlingly lucid narrative from a sickening web of bribery, corruption and violence.

The New York Times
The Reviews

Urgent investigative report and unforgettable drama, Virunga is a work of heart-wrenching tenderness and heart-stopping suspense.

LA Times

Extraordinary … enough action, pathos, suspense, venal villains, stalwart heroes and endangered gorillas for a dozen fiction films

Variety
Awards

VIRUNGA won over 75 international awards, with prizes ranging from the journalism underpinning the film, (Colombia DuPont Award), the film's craft (Primetime EMMY Award) and the film's impact work (Peabody Award).


Impact Work

Led by Violet Films, an impact campaign ran alongside the release of the film aimed at protecting the Virunga National Park from illegal oil exploration. The film / impact team won a number of awards for the impact work including a Peabody, a Doc Impact Award and Television Academy Honour. Read all about the film's impact work here - https://docimpacthi5.org/films/virunga

Best Documentary feature, Academy Awards 2015 Nominated
Best Cinematography, Primetime Emmy Awards 2015 Winner
Peabody Awards 2015 Winner
Best Documentary, BAFTA Awards 2015 Nominated
Outstanding Documentary, Primetime Emmy Awards 2015 Nominated
Best Cinema Documentary, Grierson Trust Award 2015 Winner
Columbia DuPont Awards, 2015 Winner
Best Documentary Feature, Camden International Film Festival 2014 Winner
Best of Fest, AFI Silverdocs 2014 Winner
Best Documentary, Abu Dhabi Film Festival 2014 Winner
Best Documentary, BIFA 2014 Nominated
Superbob
Jon Drever