About The Lost Film of Dian Fossey

Twenty five years after her brutal murder in Rwanda, she is still a conservation icon.

Gorilla

When dedicated and determined researcher Dian Fossey’s photograph appeared on the cover of National Geographic magazine in January 1970, she became an international celebrity.

Twenty five years after her brutal murder in Rwanda, she is still a conservation icon.

Through sheer will, determination and fight, Dian saved her beloved mountain gorillas from possible extinction. For 18 years she lived and worked at a remote rainforest camp nestled in Rwanda’s Virunga Mountains. Cinematographer Bob Campbell lived and worked at Fossey’s research station during the early years, where he shot more than 70,000 feet of film. Most of his film has never been seen.

Now Eden lifts the lid on this incredible hidden gem, and in The Lost Film Of Dian Fossey, Campbell shares his images and his story with the world. This newly-discovered footage reveals an epic of passion and pain that brought human and ape closer than ever before.

In this UK premiere film, Campbell talks candidly of his relationship with Dian. Initially the two struggled to get along, but as time passed, and despite Campbell’s marriage, romance blossomed in the rainforest. Today, he acknowledges that their intimate affair enabled him to capture some of the extraordinary footage.

Narrated by Sigourney Weaver, who played Dian in the film Gorillas In The Mist, The Lost Film Of Dian Fossey contains some magical moments – Dian caring for and playing with two orphaned baby gorillas; the baby gorillas’ playing with Fossey's dog, Cindy; and touchingly, Dian with her favourite gorilla, Digit. This footage, left untouched in a storage vault for over 30 years, adds a brilliant new layer to the story of a truly amazing life.