Let’s just get this out the way right now, Stroop: Journey into the rhino horn war is not a happy film.
There is no happy ending, it will not make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Quite the opposite, in fact.
However, it is without a doubt an important film that should be seen by as many people as possible.
The documentary chronicles a four-year investigation by Susan Scott and Bonné de Bod into the rhino horn trade.
They investigate all angles of this devastating conservation disaster from the front-lines at the national parks to the horn’s final destinations in China and Vietnam.
Along the way, they interview all manner of individuals including park rangers, conservation experts, and even the horn traders themselves. The final product is an insightful and incredibly infuriating dive into what is described by one person in the documentary as a “low-key war”.
Stroop holds no punches and doesn’t shy away from showing the gruesome nature of the poaching trade, so more sensitive viewers should take heed.
For more information, visit the film’s website.
