Movie 1: For a movie about Dian Fossey and the gorillas she worked with, watch Gorillas in the Mist
Gorillas in the Mist the movie is the film adaptation of Dian Fossey’s book of the same name. The movie depicts Fossey’s life in Rwanda and her research on mountain gorillas. Fossey was played by Sigourney Weaver, who came to love gorillas much like Dian Fossey after playing the role. Weaver has since served as the Fossey Fund’s honorary chair for the past 30 years and has captivated audiences as a voice for gorillas and other wildlife.
Movie 2: For a more detailed series about Dian Fossey’s work, watch Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Fossey’s work, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund worked closely with National Geographic to create the three-part series “Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist.” This included extended filming with our staff in Rwanda and the gorilla groups we monitor today, as well as delving into Fossey’s historical photos and journals. Additionally, our honorary chair Sigourney Weaver played a big role by narrating excerpts from Fossey’s writings.
Movie 3: For a documentary about the gorillas we study, watch Titus: The Gorilla King
“The Gorilla King” features current Karisoke staffers Veronica Vecellio (who writes many of our Gorilla eNews updates) and Felix Ndagijimana (who runs Karisoke), as well as scientists who observed Titus in his earlier years. Many other Karisoke and Fossey Fund staff also helped in creating the film, including the research and filming.
To read more about Titus and the film, follow this link to our website! https://gorillafund.org/titus-the-gorilla-king/
Movie 4: For a documentary about all of the Trimates, watch She Walks with Apes
Between the years of 1960 and 1971, anthropologist Louis Leakey recruited three women to study three species of great apes. Jane Goodall studied chimpanzees, Dian Fossey studied gorillas, and Biruté Galdikas studied orangutans. She Walks with Apes is the story of these three women who took on a lifetime of field research to study and protect some of our closest living relatives. Not only have these women made many novel discoveries about our fellow great apes, but they have used their voices for advocacy and conservation to protect the species that they studied and love.
Movie 5: For a movie about Jane Goodall, another famous primatologist, watch Jane
Jane tells the story of Jane Goodall’s life at her field site in Gombe, Tanzania. With never-before-seen footage, this documentary focuses on her groundbreaking field work and life with chimpanzees. During her time in the field, Goodall helped us rethink what makes us uniquely human and uncovered the mysterious lives of chimpanzees. Today, Goodall is a UN Messenger of Peace and one of the most well-known primatologists and conservation leaders.