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May 10, 2002
High price of diamonds
Documentary looks at life on a Namibian mining ship.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN
Namibia is not a country that one associates with wealth and prosperity.
Yet it and other African countries possess a much-coveted resource:
diamonds. While some are making a fortune from these precious gems,
the way in which they are mined and, at times, fought over, can
be the cause of much human suffering. The Israeli documentary
Diamonds and Rust gives viewers a glimpse of what goes into
getting that diamond into the ring at the jewelry store.
De Beers is one of the biggest links in the diamond production chain.
The South African company and the Namibian government control what
is called the Diamond Zone, the waters along the southern coastline
of Namibia. According to one of the crew of the Spirit of Namibia,
which is the focus of Diamonds and Rust, the ship mines some
$3.5 million worth of diamonds a month. Compare this with the $150
a month that is paid to each of the deckhands on the boat.
In their documentary directing debut, Adi Barash and Ruthie Shatz
join the 38-member crew – made up of South Africans, Namibians,
Cubans and one Israeli – on board the Spirit of Namibia for
three months. Diamonds and Rust is about the day-to-day life
on board the mining vessel. It doesn't show the sheer brutality
that can be part of the diamond trade but it does show some of the
hardships endured in this competitive industry.
The Spirit of Namibia is an older ship. It is rusting away and falling
apart. By Day 10 of the expedition, several tons of fresh water
had become contaminated with salt water; more than a month passed
before it was replenished. One Namibian deckhand commented that
they were all living in fear of their lives, and the South African
manager of the mining operation spoke openly about not knowing when
the boat would sink.
Add to this physical environment, the emotional stress of living
in cramped quarters with racists or with those who you believe to
be a "different species." The Namibian miners work under
slave-like conditions, 12- to 15-hour days, but the rest of the
crew isn't much better off. One South African tried, unsuccessfully,
throughout the movie to get shore leave in order to get his teeth
fixed – he was living in constant pain. "It's like a prison
in here," he says at one point.
Barash and Shatz do an admirable job of letting the situation speak
for itself. They offer no commentary on what they are filming, but
they allow the people being portrayed to offer their opinions and
feelings and they make sure that all of the major players get a
say. For example, literally everyone on the ship hates Danny, the
Israeli security manager. Before the film ends, Barash asks Danny
why he is so rude to everyone. Reluctant at first, Danny speaks
of the pressures of his responsibilities and he ends up coming off
as at least human, if not as a nice guy.
What propels all of these people to stay together for months at
a time, far away from their families and people they actually like?
Basically, the answer comes down to money and the need for a job
... any job.
Diamonds and Rust screens May 26, 9 p.m., at the Pacific
Cinémathèque, as part of the DOXA Documentary Film
and Video Festival, which runs May 22-26. Tickets are $8, five tickets
for $35 or a festival pass for $85. Call DOXA at 604-646-3200 or
visit www.vcn.bc.ca/doxa for more information. Call Ticketmaster
at 604-280-4444 for tickets.
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