Virunga

Gorillas in the midst of war

Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel

Virunga follows the incredible true story of a group of brave individuals, risking 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

In the forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most biodiverse places in the world and home to the last of the mountain gorillas. In this wild, but enchanted environment, a small and embattled team of park rangers – including an ex-child soldier turned ranger, a carer of orphan gorillas and a Belgian 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 in May 2012, a new conflict threatens the lives and stability of everyone and everything they’ve worked so hard to protect.

Visit the film’s website

Awards and Screening

Virunga had its UK premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival, on 24 and 26 June 2014 and has since had international screenings as well as receiving multiple awards and garnered great critical acclaim. To see all awards click here

Testimonial

I cannot thank the team at WorldView enough. They were the first funding body to believe in this project and the grant we were given was extremely useful in our initial research trips and development work for the project. Those initial trips and the material we gathered from them have given us the basis upon which to build this film’s story and to garner more funding and support from other organisations. Orlando von Einsiedel

Virunga premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival