Blood Diamond- Jennifer Connelly
Interview: Jennifer Connelly Talks Blood Diamond
"I have to say it was a joy making the film," said Connelly. "I loved my time there, so externally there were no huge obstacles to overcome. The cast were a delight. I loved being in Mozambique and South Africa, so things were going pretty swimmingly for me. I'd say just sort of the most challenging thing was my own head, my conviction that I can always be better and do better. So just putting up with that and the subsequent endless hours of considering and wondering that I always put myself through and trying to make choices for a character."
The filming in Africa even became a family affair for Connelly, as she brought her kids to the locations. "Our younger son Stellen was there the whole time, and older son Kai, because of his own social commitments and school commitments, he came over in the middle for five or six weeks, he was basically home for a month, with us for a month, and back at home. It was fantastic for them. First of all, on time off, we traveled around, went on safari, we traveled to Botswana. For them it was an incredible experience, to see wild life and nature. And also, especially for my older son, to come along and drive past the townships and see that. He came with me to some schools that we visited, to see the classrooms in Mozambique, to see what the children didn't have, and that was very educational and I was very happy he was able to see that."
In the film, Connelly's character flirts with Leonardo DiCaprio's to challenge his morals and get her story. They do not become romantic, however. "I really like the balance that is struck here in the film. There's a lot for them to overcome in terms of a relationship. She says at the beginning of the film they're pretty much opposite sides off the fence, and yet I think that my character understands that these are really difficult times and very difficult situations and no one is all good and no one is all bad. I think that's a reasonable place where they come to, where they're attracted to each other, they're interested in each other, they've gained respect for one another, despite how they seem very much at odds at the beginning. And yet it's not cheap. It could be something actually quite meaningful, if they had had different circumstances and had had more time together."
Connelly now takes the lessons of the film into her own fashion advice. "I'm wearing diamond earrings right now, that are from Bulgari. I have done research into retailers that can certify their diamonds are conflict free. I don't think the film suggests a boycott on African diamonds, because there are human rights implications in the boycotting of African diamonds as well. So I think what I got out of the film is a desire to be a more ethical consumer. So I went about doing some research, and there are companies like Bulgari, like Tiffany, who are striving to be clean and accountable and that provide written guarantees that their diamonds are conflict-free and that will also provide consumers with educational materials."
Blood Diamond opens to theatres tomorrow, December 8th.
For the trailers, movie stills, posters, more interviews, full synopsis and more movie info,
go to the Blood
Diamond Movie Page.
Stay tuned for updates.
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