Normally I would never discuss
films or things I see on television but things change, especially for this.
Last night we watched the Netflix
documentary “Virunga”, which follows a group of incredible individuals who risk
their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park
located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At least that is what the basis of
the story is, as well as the most gut wrenching, saddening and devastating
part.
The film then grows into
something much greater - if I had read the synopsis then there might have been
a 0.01% chance I could have prepared myself for what was to come.
As we are all aware, though not
as much as we like to think, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been in an
almost continual flux of war, either from internal political issues or
external. The catastrophic attacks on communities and the expanding rebel
fighting groups have made for a very unstable country and can be accountable
for over 5.4 million civilian deaths.
The M23 Rebellion is the latest
group that has been fighting against the government in North Kivu, Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the formal end of the Second Congo War in
2003. This group, M23, is the one we see in Virunga
and we are shown a driving force behind why they attack the National Park.
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| Virunga national park: 130 rangers have been killed in the last 20 years protecting the gorillas and other wild animals within the park. Photograph: Junior D. Kannah/AFP |
What became apparent to me from
watching the undercover footage shot by French investigative journalist,
Mélanie Gouby, of her meeting with two SOCO employees/ contractors – one of
which was a self-proclaimed mercenary - was that Virunga National Park is not
just rich in oil but also abundant in iron ore and diamonds. Virunga National
Park seems to be extremely plentiful in rare goods that the western world
covets and therefore have little-to-no power to fight against such large
corporations.
Just to make the situation even
clearer for the viewer the mercenary, a somewhat evil man severely suffering
from a backward conscious-compass, beautifully stated something along the lines
of business is business and someone – SOCO
International- was paying for the war.
I will watch it again to find the exact quote, which will be much more
poignant.
I love films like Blood Diamond
and The Constant Gardener, and although they are based on truth and the
horrific acts that are regularly happening in some African nations, you cannot
help but feel a little disassociated as they have been ‘Hollywoodized’. The
dramatic music, the actors you love and the somewhat happy ending all allow you
to walk away at the end of the film and believe that all is well now.
Virunga does not give you such
permission. It is calling on all those who watch it to act and to speak out for
the rights of the communities who rely on the land and lake for farming and
fishing and the wildlife.
I have honestly never felt so
stunned and saddened by the way things are. It is not a worst-case scenario or
the evil monster horror story, it is actually happening. Big corporations such
as SOCO International have the power because they have the muscle and money to
do so.
Upon looking into this I saw an
article in The
Guardian that explains: “Producers of the documentary
Virunga, set in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) park which is home to many of the world’s remaining
800 mountain gorillas, will on Friday publish a list of all major British
and international pension funds, companies and banks who back London-based
Soco’s search for oil in some of the world’s most volatile regions. They
include the Church of England investment fund, M&S, Aviva, Scottish Widows
and several high street banks.”
I really hope The Guardian and New York Times continue to keep readers up-to-date with the situation between SOCO and
Virunga, and I too will continue to research what can be done.
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| Emmanuel de Merode and Andre Bauma, caretaker of the gorillas in the park, attend the New York screening of Virunga. Photograph: Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images |
