From Executive producer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Virunga is a BAFTA and Academy Award nominee, and has won over 40 international awards since its world premiere at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.
In the forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth and home to the planet’s last remaining mountain gorillas. In this wild, but enchanted environment, a small and embattled team of park rangers - including an ex-child soldier turned ranger, a caretaker of orphan gorillas and a dedicated 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, a new conflict threatens the lives and stability of everyone and everything they've worked so hard to protect, with the filmmakers and the film’s participants caught in the crossfire.
A powerful combination of investigative journalism and nature documentary, Virunga is the true story of a group of people risking their lives to build a better future in a part of Africa the world has forgotten. It is also a gripping exposé of the realities of life in the Congo.
The AfriDocs broadcast of Virunga, presented in association with Steps and the Bertha Foundation, will air at 20:00 on Thursday, 21 May in all 49 countries across sub-Saharan Africa on DStv ED satellite Channel 190 and terrestrially on GoTv65.
For more information, visit www.virungamovie.com. Alternatively connect with them on Facebook and on Twitter.