“We are thrilled to see the story of the Pablo family shared with a global audience,” said Dr. Tara Stoinski, President, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
“Our teams have studied this group for decades, and that long-term research was essential to telling the full story of this family, dating back to Dian Fossey’s time, and to interpret what viewers see on screen — from subtle social interactions to major life events. It’s a powerful example of how sustained scientific research can bring extraordinary animal stories to life.”
As advisors, the Fossey Fund provided field expertise, behavioral interpretation and unique insights from its decades of research on the Pablo family to help shape the film’s narrative.
Working closely with the production team, Fossey Fund scientists provided key logistical support and helped ensure that important moments captured on camera were accurately understood by translating complex behaviors into a compelling and authentic story about the lives of gorillas.
“A Gorilla Story” is a tribute to the complex and awe-inspiring lives of mountain gorillas, and it would not have been possible without the conservation and research efforts of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund,” said Alastair Fothergill, co-director of Silverback Films and Executive Producer of the film. “The organization’s decades of scientific knowledge allowed us to tell the full story of these gorillas in ways that would otherwise have been impossible.”
Today, mountain gorillas represent one of conservation’s rare success stories. Once pushed toward extinction, they are now the only great ape species whose population is increasing — a recovery made possible in part through the Fossey Fund’s decades of sustained conservation, research and collaboration with local communities.
“A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough” premieres globally on Netflix on April 17. To learn more about the gorillas featured in the documentary, follow @savinggorillas on social media or visit gorillafund.org.
About The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is the world’s longest-running and largest organization dedicated to gorilla conservation. Established in 1967 by famed primatologist Dian Fossey, the Fossey Fund works in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect and study critically endangered wild gorillas and their habitats, and to support the people who share the gorillas’ forest home. For more, visit: gorillafund.org. Follow us on social @savinggorillas.