Movie Review (Virunga, 2014)
Q1.) The documentary, Virunga, is made effective by the fact that it combines advocacy with immediacy. It is directed by Orlando von Einsiedel and focuses on a national park called Virunga, located in eastern Congo. The various issues it seeks to cover make it a unique documentary. It advocates for natural conservation and concern for a rare breed of gorillas, who face the threat of existence from armed poachers and SOCO International, which is an international oil exploration firm in Congo. The park, formerly known as Albert National Park, also faces a threat from mining interests. (Scheib)
Virunga gives an effective description of the current issues facing third world countries that have a wealth of resources such as Congo. These issues range from civil wars over natural resources such as oil, the threat of poachers to wildlife conservation, the exploitation of third world countries by the developed nations from the west, and corruption within the government. Several instances in the documentary serve to expose these issues. SOCO, a mining company based in the UK, defies international law by drilling oil from Lake Edward in the park. A high profile army officer is captured by a concealed camera trying to bribe a journalist to spy for SOCO. There are also clashes between conservationists and refugees over hunting and fishing grounds. This documentary is, therefore, effective as it attracts worldwide attention and even goes on to get a nomination for Oscar. (Scheib)
Q2.) Virunga, which is one among the world heritage sites under threat, is the home of two-thirds of the mountain gorillas left in the world. These gorillas have faced a constant threat from armed poachers, rebels who fight the government for national resources, and international mining firms such as SOCO. In their course of protecting these gorillas from such threats, many rangers have died. The victims in this film, therefore, are the extinct mountain gorillas and other wild animals in Virunga National Park. The rangers are also victims as they die conserving their natural resources. The villains, on the other hand, are the armed poachers, the foreign mining companies such as SOCO, and the government officers who engage in corruption instead of being in the frontline to preserve their natural resources. (Worboys et al.)
Q.7) Oil is an exhaustible natural resource while plants and animals are inexhaustible natural resources. Nature offers us basic resources such as water, food, petroleum, animals and minerals. The increasing world population, industrialization, and growth of urban centers have increased the demand for these natural resources. Natural resources can be divided into exhaustible and inexhaustible resources. ("Non-Renewable Energy Sources") While natural resources such as petroleum and oil are in limited amount and are not renewable, flora and fauna are renewable. This is because plants and animals can reproduce and continue to serve the demands of the industrialized world. However, when the rate of consumption of these natural resources surpasses the rate at which they can be regenerated, it can lead to their total exhaustion. Hence, human beings should be cautious with the way they consume these natural resources to prevent future generation from suffering.
What is your perception of the government’s action to allow SOCO to drill oil against international law?
Works cited
"Non-Renewable Energy Sources". Sciencelearn Hub. N.p., 2016. Web. 7 May 2016.
Scheib, Ronnie. "Film Review: ‘Virunga’". Variety. N.p., 2014. Web. 7 May 2016.
Worboys, Graeme et al. Protected Area Governance And Management. Print.
