Gorillas, Rebels & Heroes; that's Virunga!

I recently went along to the beautiful Hackney Picture House to finally see Virunga:The Movie. I have been wanting to see this documentary for months and finally got my chance, I was not disappointed. 

Source - http://now-here-this.timeout.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/HackneyPicturehouse_RG058.jpg

Taken from the movie promo:

"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.”

All I can say is that it lived up to its expectations and I have not been on an emotional roller coaster like that for a long time. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire film and the cinematography is simply stunning. As you walk with the ranger patrols in the Virunga National Park and hear gun shots and bombs going off you really feel like you are there. Seeing Andre taking care of the orphaned gorillas and refusing to leave them on the cusp of rebels coming in almost brought me to tears. Finally, seeing Emmanuel de Merode (Chief Warden of Virunga National Park) saying "I will be the last one to leave" and addressing all the rangers in the morning was incredible. What these guys do, putting their lives literally on the line, to protect their country and its laws is fantastic and truly heroic.

Check out the trailer and feel your emotions connecting with the work they do. Then book to go and see it here - http://virungamovie.com/Screenings; you will not regret it.

Virunga - Official Trailer 2014 from Grain Media on Vimeo.

After the film I knew we were going to have a Q & A with the producer, but when Andrea and Emmanuel popped up on screen as well I was shaking. After seeing the film and then talking to them was an experience I will remember for the rest of my life; I even got to ask a question.

Speaking with producers, Andre & Emmanuel via Skype

Here is a list of things you can do to help if you can't make a screening - http://virungamovie.com/#takeaction

Thank you for reading and I hope you will spread the word about what is going on in Virunga and about the brave men and women that fight to save it everyday.

Disclaimer:

"The views and opinions expressed in the Diary of a Primatologist blog are purely my own and are not in any way linked to any organisations I may represent or work with unless otherwise stated. All photos are my own unless otherwise stated and a source will be provided where other photos are used; if they are yours and you would like them taken down then please just ask. The author retains full copyright for all content and photos and written permission is required before their use. The owner of the site is not liable for any content accessed through links posted."

Help save the mountain gorillas by watching a movie.

Virunga: The Movie has now been completed and the trailer can be viewed below. It is up to us to support their efforts and make sure we do not lose this key habitat.

The Chief Warden Emmanuel de Merode can be seen and heard during the trailer, this makes it all the more emotional to watch as he is currently recovering from being shot while on duty - more here

Taken from http://virungamovie.com

“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 forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most bio-diverse 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 and 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.”

Virunga - Official Trailer 2014 from Grain Media on Vimeo.

History:

Founded in 1925 by King Albert I of Belgium the Virunga National Park (VNP) now stretches over 7800 square kilometres that includes active volcanoes, forests, savannas, lava plains, swamps, erosion valleys and mountains. VNP is home to around a quarter of the worlds Mountain gorilla population and also contains eastern lowland Grauer’s gorillas and chimpanzees. This makes it the only park in the world to contain three different taxa of great apes.

VNP’s history has been a difficult one, the DR Congo and the surrounding countries have had a series of civil wars and uprising’s, like the 1994 Rwandan genocide sending 1 million refugees out of the country. This type of pressure on the VNP means the wildlife is in immense danger from bush meat, de-forestation and human activities. Also, several critically endangered mountain gorillas were killed by a charcoal mafia in 2007, which promoted VNP to improve its ranger protection program.

Thank you for reading and watching now please share this with everyone you know and get the story of Virunga out there. These men and women put their lives on the line everyday to protect this precious area and the wildlife that lives within. The least we can do is make sure their plight does not go unnoticed.

Photos – credit to http://virungamovie.com

References:

http://virungamovie.com

http://virunga.org

Disclaimer:

"The views and opinions expressed in the Diary of a Primatologist blog are purely my own and are not in any way linked to any organisations I may represent or work with unless otherwise stated. All photos are my own unless otherwise stated and a source will be provided where other photos are used; if they are yours and you would like them taken down then please just ask. The author retains full copyright for all content and photos and written permission is required before their use. The owner of the site is not liable for any content accessed through links posted."