“Virunga” (2014) is an urgent British documentary about Virunga National Park, located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the staff rangers have dedicated themselves to the preservation of the park and the protection of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas.
The threat to the park and to the gorillas comes from ruthless poachers, looming civil war, and SOCO International—an oil conglomerate with ambitions to exploit the natural resources under the park’s Lake Edward. The storyline revolves around the desperate efforts of park wardens Emmanuel de Merode and Rodrigue Mugaruka Katemb to protect the reserve, ranger André Bauma to personally care for the vulnerable creatures and investigative journalist Mélanie Gouby to expose SOCO’s nefarious intentions for the besieged park, as all three forces slowly converge.
A stunning real-life thriller bound to enrage and galvanize the viewer—a remarkable glimpse into a desperate conflict and a searing call-to-action. An Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary in 2014, "Virunga" is one of the very best films available exclusively on Netflix.
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