Anna Friel is one of an ever-increasing number of celebrities using their fame to raise awareness of environmental issues, such as the threat Virunga National Park due to oil exploration. At the BFI London Film Festival, Anna spent an evening promoting a short three-minute film, directed by none other than Stephen Poliakoff, called Virunga.
The film is essentially a showcase for the area's natural beauty and incredible variety of wildlife to be found in East Africa.
What it's all about
Alongside the WWF, Friel and Poliakoff are trying to make the preservation of Virunga, Africa's oldest national park, possible so that future generations will get to see it. Having been there with her daughter, this issue has had a profound effect on the British actor.
"I was incredibly fortunate to experience the beauty of Uganda's parks with my daughter Gracie, and I now feel even more of a responsibility to help preserve this area.
.. If we fail to act now, the heritage of this 'protected' area and these extraordinary creatures could no longer exist by the time Gracie is my age. If oil exploration can threaten a place as beautiful and meaningful as Virunga, where's next?"
Much needed attention
There is no doubt about the fact that the glamourous red carpet world of a big film festival was the perfect place to start talking about this because there's nothing quite like a well-dressed celebrity with something important to say to get people listening.
Perhaps Anna's sharp dress sense and elegant beauty will have reached out to people who otherwise wouldn't have looked twice at a film about somewhere they've probably never been and one day might not be able to.
Find out more from the WWF right here.
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