Leonardo DiCaprio teams up with Netflix for anti-poaching documentary Virunga

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.

Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.

Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond

Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

Find out more

Leonardo DiCaprio is coming to Netflix - but don’t get too excited yet.

Rather than starring in a Kevin Spacey-type thriller, the actor has teamed up to produce a new documentary that looks at gorilla preservation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The documentary, Virunga, follows a team of park rangers as they try to protect endangered mountain gorillas from poachers in the Congo’s Virunga National Park.

The film, which has been executive produced by DiCaprio, will be available to all Netflix subscribers from 7 November.

The actor, who has been involved with various animal rights campaigns, set up the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation in 1998.

Its website states its aim is to “protect Earth’s last wild places and implement solutions that create a harmonious relationship between humanity and the natural world”.

Virunga debuted at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, earning a nomination in the Best Documentary Feature category.

The award-winning film is the first feature-length documentary from director Orlando von Einsiedel, who filmed in the national park for over two years.

“What is happening in the Virunga National Park is an urgent story that every one of us should know about. It’s a story that will profoundly affect us all in years to come and speaks about what sort of world we want our children and grandchildren to group up in,” he said.