Oscar-nominated 'Virunga' a suspenseful true story

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there are soldiers willing to die to protect the world's last known mountain gorillas.

That's the hook of "Virunga," a beautifully photographed and thrilling documentary - one of the five finalists at next week's Academy Awards. The film, distributed by Netflix, is currently available on its instant streaming service.

Director Orlando von Einsiedel began the project as a way to highlight the progress of the country's Virunga National Park and how park rangers were defending against poachers of the park's animals, including the critically endangered mountain gorillas (Last count: 800+ of the species in the entire world).

The timing couldn't be worse, as violence from the M23 rebellion began to spill into the communities surrounding the park. Meanwhile, a British oil company, Soco International, made a strong push for exploratory drilling in the park's protected areas. Alongside a French investigative journalist, von Einsiedel captured hidden video of Soco representatives attempting to bribe park rangers into undermining the preservation effort.

Their undercover work is executed and edited together like a high-caliber spy film, and "Virunga" provides a first-hand examination of a damaged country held together by the integrity of its best citizens. The film focuses on a handful of devoted rangers, including Andre Bauma, a man tasked to care for and protect a rehabilitation center for a small group of captive gorillas. He, like the others in the film, believe the preservation of the species is more than worth the risk of death.

The risk is real, as the park rangers claim to have lost more than 100 colleagues to rebels and poachers. The filmmakers are on hand when rebels take control of the area, capturing footage of violent conflict. Cinematographer Franklin Dow also captures gorgeous images of the park, making the desire to protect it all the more compelling.

While the Academy may have snubbed the powerful Roger Ebert documentary, "Life Itself," there's still comfort in knowing that added exposure for "Virunga" and other documentaries exploring unseen conflict and issues can propel action and incite lasting change.

Netflix should be commended for its efforts in supporting documentaries, not just in the movies it finances, but in making such a wide selection of films available on the streaming platform. Chances are good the other nominees this year will eventually find a home and many new viewers on Netflix.

Of the other nominees, "Finding Vivien Maier," about the famous nanny/secret photographer, and "Last Days in Vietnam" are available on numerous digital rental platforms like Amazon, Google Play and iTunes. "The Salt of the Earth," about the life of photographer Sabastiao Salgado, is listed for rental on Google Play. The Edward Snowden documentary, "CITIZENFOUR" is still in limited theatrical release.

On Tuesday, you can also catch Best Picture nominees "Birdman" and "The Theory of Everything" on home video before next Sunday's Oscars, as well as Animated Feature nominee, "The Tale of Princess Kaguya," a Japanese film currently holding a 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com.