Dochouse Presents: Virunga Sneak Preview + Q&a

Dir. Orlando von Einsiedel
UK - 2014 - 97mins

"...if a movie has ever deserved to win both the best film as well as best documentary categories at the Oscars, then this is it." Tom Roston, Doc Soup, POV

"There's no question, though, that 'Virunga' is first-rate, both in its gimlet-eyed storytelling and visual elegance." Indiewire


Deep in the rainforests of eastern Congo lies Virunga, Africa's oldest national park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the last remaining home of the mountain gorilla. With a brutal civil war creeping ever closer the park is under threat like never before. A team of Congolese rangers, led by a Belgian conservationist, are the only barrier against the armed militia groups and foreign corporate interests seeking control of the parks rich natural resources. Virunga tells the riveting story of the effort to protect the national park's borders and the extraordinary creatures living within it.

Director Orlando von Einsiedel's first feature sheds light on a part of Africa the world has forgotten, it is a galvanising call to action focused on a political and environmental topic that continues to grip the Congo.

Winner: International Emerging Director, Hot Docs, 2014
Winner: Best Feature Documentary, DOXA Film Festival, 2014
Official Selection: Tribeca Film Festival, 2014

Orlando von Einsiedel has been praised by critics for his fearless filmmaking and strong sense of the people and places he covers, Orlando's eye for striking shots, combined with his compelling global investigations into social issues, have ensured that he is unequivocally an original and talented filmmaker on the rise.