YOU MUST MUST MUST SEE THIS. JOIN NETFLIX. I think this is the offical Netflix poster. Hope they don’t sue me.

See this documentary. If you have little to no knowledge of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and you want to know something, see VIRUNGA. It is not the same as reading books or paying political attention or going there but it is a factual, moving, and very well presented overview of the tragedy that is so much of Congolese history and present. Two stories move along simultaneously against the background of the war. One the struggle to preserve Virunga National Park and the mountain gorillas and other wildlife; the other the struggle against the British oil company SOCO, a company with zero interest in anything except profit.

No surprises of course either in the desperation and dedication of those attempting to keep the park out of the hands of the rapacious and violent national and guerilla armies or the equally rapacious and violent  employees and subcontractors of SOCO.

The film is told primarily through an African park employee whose very life is dedicated to the gorillas and a brave French reporter digging up the dirt on SOCO—and my god, there is some extremely filthy dirt to dig up.

The countryside and the wildlife are given the chance to show off their beauty in some absolutely breathtaking nature footage. And we get to meet good and evil up close and personal.

BE ASHAMED, BE VERY ASHAMED, IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME NECESSARY TO INFORM YOURSELF ABOUT A BEAUTIFUL, TRAGIC, BRAVE AND IMPORTANT PART OF THE WORLD.  

 VIRUNGA is streaming on NETLIX. DO IT.