You thought “Erin Brockovich” was intense? Try watching a Congolese park ranger protect the last mountain gorillas while rebels, mercenaries, and an oil company try to burn the jungle down.
This doc is #7 on our list of The Best National Park Documentaries.
Trailer for “Virunga”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- The director of the park, was ambushed and shot in 2012 while transporting documents proving oil company wrongdoing. He survived—and went right back to work.
- Hidden camera footage captures SOCO International contractors offering a park ranger envelopes stuffed with cash and bottles of champagne to support oil exploration. This all happens inside a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- When rebel soldiers attacked eastern Congo in 2012, the park’s rangers held the front line. Some unpaid and all under-equipped protected the gorilla habitat and orphaned gorillas as war raged around them.
Watch “Virunga”
You can watch “Virunga” on Netflix.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 92/100
- IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes: 93/100 (Users); 100/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel, “Virunga” is 100% boots-on-the-ground filmmaking. Von Einsiedel worked side-by-side with rangers and locals—this isn’t just a talking-head doc. It’s raw, urgent, and fearless.
Release Date: November 7, 2014 (Netflix)
My Review of “Virunga”
The Setup
“Virunga” tells the true story of Africa’s oldest national park and the last line of defense for the world’s few remaining mountain gorillas. It’s a war-zone thriller set in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rangers are dodging bullets, oil companies are bribing officials, and rebels are closing in on UNESCO land.
The documentary weaves together four threads:
- The rangers risking their lives for conservation
- a Belgian warden who survives an assassination attempt
- a French journalist undercover with an oil company, and the gorillas themselves—caught in the crossfire of war and profit.
All of it happens inside Virunga National Park, home to 3,000 square miles of rich ecosystem, armed conflict, and political betrayal.
More Highlights from the Doc
- We meet André Bauma, the gorilla caretaker at the park’s sanctuary, who sleeps next to orphaned gorillas during firefights—he calls them “my children.”
- SOCO’s backdoor efforts to exploit oil reserves beneath Lake Edward are exposed, from fake environmental surveys to shady deals with military leaders.
- The cinematography is unreal. Explosions are heard in the distance while the camera quietly captures a gorilla gently holding Bauma’s hand.
- A French investigative journalist, Mélanie Gouby, risks her life posing as an ally to SOCO contractors to expose how deep the corruption goes.
- The park is home to about a quarter of the world’s last remaining 800 mountain gorillas. That stat haunts every frame.
Wrap Up
If you care at all about wildlife, war, or whistleblowers, this is a must-watch. “Virunga” hits harder than most war docs or environmental docs because it’s both at once.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc