3. Virunga
Few places on planet Earth have experienced as much exploitation, war and unrest as the Congo - whether from the external forces of European colonialism or internal civil war, the African failed state has rarely experienced periods of peace. Virunga takes a look at the Congo's present day problems as experienced by a former child soldier and an international team of activists and conservationists desperate to preserve the animal inhabitants of the Virunga National Park. Speculation from unscrupulous British oil companies, raids by poachers and violence from rival militias all converge in a threat on the UNESCO world heritage site. Stunning cinematography which captures the beautiful environment only serves to heighten the feeling that Virunga is on the verge of becoming yet another paradise lost to corruption, cruelty and greed.