chick fil a We watch some films for entertainment. We watch some films for an escape from reality. We watch some films for the emotional effect. Finally, we watch some films because we should. Virunga is one such film. It is a documentary that everyone should see.Virunga follows four people in their quests to preserve Virunga National Park in the face of war and illegal oil exploitation. The Park, aside from its incredible beauty, is renowned for being the last natural habitat for the critically endangered mountain gorillas. The gorillas provide the visual and emotional backbone for the film. The two main threats to the Park include M23, a Democratic Republic of the Congo rebellion group, and SOCO International, a British oil company.The cinematography in this film is often breathtaking. Wide shots of the beautiful Virunga landscape appear with regularity throughout the film. In addition, there are moments of extreme tension thanks to the use of hand-held and hidden cameras in dangerous situations. The filmmakers succeed in establishing a hard-hitting dichotomy between the "heroes" and "villains." When I say villains, I mean villains in every sense of the word. When you listen to what the SOCO-affiliated people have to say, it often sounds like something straight out of a comic book movie. The heroes of this film are incredibly relatable due to their various obligations. One character is obligated to telling/exposing the truth. Another character is obligated to the gorillas. Still another character is obligated to the park in general. In seeing these characters discuss why they feel obligations to different things, we as viewers gain a greater understanding of what it means to be a "good human." We have a moral obligation to undo damage that has been done as well as preserve places that have escaped our contamination. Further, we have an obligation to blow the whistle on people who seek to further damage our earth. The film does a great job of emphasizing these points through its characters.I think it's important to note that the film never comes across as overbearing or "preachy." The filmmakers simply show what happens. The characters and the action do all the talking in terms of the politics and morals of the film. The situations happen organically. Nothing seems staged or contrived.Finally, I think that it is worth discussing the gorillas. As I mentioned before, I believe that they represent the backbone of the film. The filmmakers often return to the gorillas, showing them interact in an all-too-human manner. The similarity of these animals to humans gives us human viewers a more visceral reason to care about what could potentially happen to Virunga National Park. The gorillas tie back to the central theme of the film. Unfortunately, this could be one of the last films that shows these animals in their natural habitat. It would be a shame to see a species that lies only two branches away from humans on the evolutionary tree go extinct.Ultimately, I believe that Virunga is mandatory viewing for any audience. You don't have to be an environmentalist, a biologist, or a gorilla enthusiast to appreciate this film. It gives us a greater understanding and appreciation of what it means to be a morally responsible human being in an increasingly irresponsible world.

eddie_baggins An immensely moving and thought provoking documentary about a subject that I would understand not many know about, Oscar nominated, Leonardo DiCaprio produced Virunga is a must see film for not only fans of documentary films but the general public and is an incredible examination of the human spirit and those dedicated to making the world a better place.England based filmmaker Orlando von Einsiedel holds back no punches in this Netflix backed looked at the Virunga National Park deep in the wilds of the Congo and the many battles it faces from illegal animal poachers, greedy oil company's and a country with a long and sad history of violent civil wars. Einsiedel and his team of cameraman over a period of years nestled in deep with the men and women dedicated to the cause of preserving this majestic park range and the many animals it harbors, including the dangerously low in numbers Mountain Gorillas, and the film we the viewer get to witness offers us an up close and personal look at wide variety of situations, many of which were clearly dangerous for those on the ground.The landscape surrounding the naturally beautiful space of Virunga is fraught with danger and as Einsiedel's film progresses an appreciation for what troubles plaguing this region become more and more apparent, and the people who operate within these confines become more and more heroic. The humans are the stars here in Einsiedel's tale, from gorilla orphan caretaker Andre Bauma, Belgium prince Emmanuel de Merode operating as the park ranger leader, young reporter Melanie Gouby and one time soldier turned ranger Rodrigue Katembo, Einsiedel captures not only stunningly magnificent scenery and animal footage, but documents of incredible human beings, the type that in amongst a wealth of evil, corrupt cohabitants, shine a light on the good that can be achieved with a kind and loving heart.Virunga is a gut punch of movie, whether it be its documents of civil war, the sadness of animal poaching or the stand out examples of the human spirit, there's a wealth of material here that makes this film one of the year's best. Fantastically captured by Einsiedel and his team, Virunga is also one of the year's most visually unique and whilst it may not be easy viewing, Virunga remains compulsory viewing for anyone and everyone that cares for the world we live in today.5 cans of Pringles out of 5

Abbie Marisum "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.

john_seater Virunga does a good job of showing the grave difficulties facing conservationists in Africa. Virunga is about a park in the Congo, but the situation is similar in many African countries. War breaks out frequently, violence is commonplace, corruption is rampant. Perhaps even more serious, many people have an economic incentive to plunder the national parks. Many people live in extreme poverty, so poaching wild animals is not merely a good business deal, it may be the difference between starving and surviving. The same is true of exploiting the minerals in the park. Virunga lays out all that in an unflinching way.Where I fault Virunga is that it somewhat makes a muddle of things, confusing various issues, and it has an unrealistic view of what is going on. An example of the first problem is that Virunga gives the impression that the mineral companies are the root of all evil. They are not. They don't poach elephants, for example. That's a different issue. An example of the second problem is that Virunga gives the impression that the mineral companies are the reason there is corruption. In fact, corruption is rampant throughout Africa and indeed much of the rest of the world (try to get your ferry ticket stamped in Greece without paying the clerk a bribe, for example). If Africa had no minerals, it still would be rife with corruption.Despite the flaws, Virunga is a very good movie, well worth watching.