MBN: THE MONTE BUBBLES NETWORK

Based on the novel by Joseph Kanon, “The Good German” takes place in the ruins of post-World War II Berlin, where U.S. Army war correspondent Jake Geismer (GEORGE CLOONEY) becomes embroiled with Lena Brandt (CATE BLANCHETT), a former lover whose missing husband is the object of a manhunt by both the American and Russian armies.

Intrigue mounts as Jake tries to uncover the secrets Lena may be hiding in her desperation to get herself and her husband out of Berlin. Tully (TOBEY MAGUIRE), a soldier in the American army motor pool assigned to drive Jake around Berlin, has black market connections that may be Lena’s way out – or lead them all into even darker territory.

Jake soon discovers that it is nearly impossible to unearth the truth in a time and place where people are still reeling from the horrors of the war, desperate to salvage their humanity in the shadow of the often unbearable knowledge of what they did to survive.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Virtual Studios, a Section Eight Production: the dramatic thriller “The Good German,” starring Academy Award winner George Clooney (“Syriana”), Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett (“The Aviator”) and Tobey Maguire (“Spider-Man 2”).

Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic”) from a screenplay by Paul Attanasio (“The Sum of all Fears”), based on the novel by Joseph Kanon, “The Good German” is produced by Ben Cosgrove (“Good Night, and Good Luck.”) and Gregory Jacobs (“Ocean’s Twelve”). Benjamin Waisbren and Frederic W. Brost serve as executive producers.

The creative team includes production designer Philip Messina (“Ocean’s Twelve”) and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Syriana”). Music is by Thomas Newman. Casting is by Debra Zane.

The “Good German” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Production Information

Berlin, 1945.

U.S. war correspondent Jake Geismer (GEORGE CLOONEY) has just arrived to cover the upcoming Potsdam Peace Conference, where Allied leaders will meet to determine the fate of a vanquished Germany and a newly liberated Europe…and, in the process, carve up what’s left of any value for themselves.

It’s not Jake’s first visit to Berlin. He once managed a news bureau here. He once fell in love here. But that seems a lifetime ago as he takes in the staggering devastation on the jeep ride from the airport to his hotel in the American zone.

Jake’s driver, Corporal Tully (TOBEY MAGUIRE), exudes small-town American charm—an eager, guileless, good-natured kid from the Midwest. In reality, he’s corrupt to the core, bartering anything and anyone, and playing all sides for the highest price. But that’s not unusual. Everyone in Berlin has a secret now. Everyone is working an angle to get what they need: money, power, survival…or just a way out.

Tully’s black market dealings don’t interest Jake, but Tully’s girlfriend does. She’s Lena Brandt (CATE BLANCHETT), Jake’s former love, although somehow, now, not quite the person he once knew. She has been irrevocably changed by the war, the hardship of life in this ruined city and the burden of her own secrets.

When Tully ends up in the Russian zone with 100,000 marks in his pocket and a bullet in his back, Jake finds himself drawn into the mystery of this murder, and the bigger mystery of why both the American and Russian authorities look the other way.

The deeper his investigation takes him, the more it leads him back to Lena. Jake discovers that it is nearly impossible to unearth the truth in a time and place where people are still reeling from the horrors of the war and desperate to salvage their humanity in the shadow of the often unbearable knowledge of what they did to survive.

Based on the novel by Joseph Kanon and directed by Steven Soderbergh, “The Good German” is a mystery, a romance and a thriller in the classic film noir tradition, its intimate human dramas playing out against the turbulence of political intrigue on a grand scale. Not only set in 1945, but crafted in the filmmaking techniques of that era, it blends a contemporary sensibility with the distinctive mood and style of movies that stirred the imaginations of post-war audiences.

In a story where people’s histories and motives are often shrouded in doubt, there is perhaps nothing better than a black-and-white palette to expose the shades of gray.

“You should never have come back to Berlin,” Lena tells Jake. It might be the only thing she tells him that is not a lie.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Virtual Studios, a Section Eight Production: George Clooney, Cate Blanchett and Tobey Maguire starring in “The Good German.” Directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Paul Attanasio, based on the novel by Joseph Kanon, “The Good German” is produced by Ben Cosgrove and Gregory Jacobs.

Benjamin Waisbren and Frederic W. Brost serve as executive producers. Philip Messina is the production designer, and Louise Frogley, the costume designer. Music is by Thomas Newman.

Casting is by Debra Zane. Soundtrack album on Varése Sarabande CDs.

This film has been rated R for “language, violence and some sexual content.” www.thegoodgerman.com

If War is Hell, Then What Comes After?

V-E Day, May 8, 1945, marked the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and the end

of the war in Europe. By June, the Allies began the job of dividing Germany and Berlin into

zones of military occupation: American, Russian, British and French.

Ostensibly, they were there to keep the peace, restore vital services like food and fuel,

and maintain law and order, much of which they legitimately accomplished. But they were also

looking after their own interests in ways that would never make the papers back home.

“Everyone in this story—whether representing themselves and their own lives or

representing institutions or governments—is not speaking directly about what they want and is

hoping they can achieve their goals without ever having to tell the whole truth,” says director

Steven Soderbergh. “It’s about hypocrisy and denial. It’s human nature and the inevitable

outgrowth of any post-war environment. That’s something that has always been with us and

always will be. Set in a super-heated situation, these issues can mean life or death.”

War correspondent Jake Geismer has returned to Berlin to cover the Potsdam Peace

Conference, where Allied leaders will meet to finalize details of disarming Germany and

restructuring its government and economy. He is shocked to see the utter destruction of this

once-beautiful city.

Jake is further shocked to see his former lover, Lena, keeping company with his

motorpool driver, Corporal Tully—a soulless, small-time racketeer exploiting anything and

anyone to his advantage on the black market, and to whom Lena is little more than another

commodity.

How did things come to this?

Whoever Jake was before the war, by 1945 he has become, says George Clooney, “a

bitter guy. Where he once had ambition and passion, he’s been disillusioned by the war and his

experiences and has become a cynic. The one thing he still remembers as a shining moment in

his life was his relationship with Lena, but when he runs into her again, things are very different

for both of them.”

Describing that moment, Cate Blanchett, who stars as Lena, says, “The fact that she’s

there and he suddenly sweeps in, the fact that she’s even still alive and the suddenness of their

reunion, is a very romantic concept, but in Steven’s hands, it gets a rawer treatment. It’s a love

story but set against a very harsh and gritty backdrop. Seeing Jake reminds Lena of who she

used to be, how she used to feel and the fact that she used to have a sense of morality, and that’s

unbearable to her now.”

“These are two people who clearly care about each other, and it’s played in an

understated way that makes us wonder exactly what that relationship once was and what it might

have been,” suggests producer Gregory Jacobs. “But it’s a complicated world and a complicated

time, and I think real life intercedes.”

There is another reason Lena prefers to keep her distance. “Everyone in this film has a

hidden agenda, often deeply hidden from themselves,” says Blanchett. “Living under The Third

Reich cured people of forming hasty confidences. You didn’t ask intimate questions and you

didn’t tell anyone anything; you always assumed the person you were talking to could betray

you. Lena knows Jake is like a bloodhound when he’s on a scent. Whatever she is doing now,

with or without Tully, Jake’s presence can only complicate things.”

Tully has his own problems. Following a violent confrontation with Jake, the would-be

entrepreneur gets himself killed… in the wrong military zone, his pockets stuffed with cash.

“That in itself is not surprising, as Tully’s lifestyle makes him an accident waiting to happen,”

notes Tobey Maguire, “but what Jake cannot fathom is why the American and Russian

authorities are so eager to sweep it under the carpet.”

A conversation with the city’s interim military governor, Colonel Muller (Beau Bridges),

leaves Jake with more questions than answers.

“Why does Jake even care that Tully is murdered?” asks producer Ben Cosgrove. “Tully

is hardly likeable. But what disturbs Jake is that an American soldier—even a corrupt one—died

under mysterious circumstances and no one is concerned. That bothers him, both as a reporter

and as a person of character. He finds it hypocritical that the U.S. entered this war for clear

moral reasons, yet is now ignoring the murder of one of its own.”

The situation soon takes on additional complexity. Says Clooney, “At first, Jake is

implicated in Tully’s murder. Then, he feels compelled to solve it, his old hunger for a story.

Finally, piece by piece, it becomes more about the woman he loves. If he can get to the bottom

of this, and help her in the process, he can feel better about himself and maybe get a bit of his

soul back. At least he can feel better about leaving her the first time.”

“What drives the story is that Jake knows Lena is lying to him and he cannot rest until he

finds out why,” says screenwriter Paul Attanasio. The writer of “Quiz Show and “Donnie

Brasco,” Attanasio’s reputation for richly detailed characters and tight plotting made him a

natural choice to adapt “The Good German.” “For all his cynicism, Jake is also a romantic. Like

Gatsby, like Rick in ‘Casablanca,’ he never sees the world as it is; he sees what he wants it to be.

He wants to believe that Lena is the same woman he knew before the war.”

Jake doesn’t realize the truths he is pursuing go far beyond Lena, beyond lost love,

beyond Tully’s shady deals and shadier partners. Yet, somehow, they are all tied up in it

together.

Making Deals with the Devil

As they entered Germany, the Americans and Russians discovered that German

physicists, chemists and engineers were considerably further advanced than they expected—

years ahead in many areas, including rocket science and biological warfare.

Meanwhile, even as Joseph Stalin posed for publicity photos with Harry Truman, those in

the know understood the two powers were allies only by necessity…and only temporarily. A

new war was already beginning and the new enemy would be the USSR. America wanted the

knowledge these German scientists and engineers could provide. Equally important was keeping

that knowledge out of Soviet hands.

Jacobs points out the irony. “Amidst the victory celebrations and the so-called Peace

Conference, a desperate struggle was being waged over who would get the German scientists and

their research for the next war. The Russians were literally kidnapping them off the streets and

the Americans weren’t far behind. It was a major operation going on, a secret mandate within

the U.S. government to transport these scientists to America.”

Simultaneously, military lawyers were sorting through voluminous records to determine

who would stand trial for war crimes. Among those would surely be some of the scientists and

engineers responsible, directly or indirectly, for the deaths of thousands because their work was

accomplished through slave labor under the most appallingly inhumane conditions. Any number

of valuable scientific minds could find themselves wanted in both spheres immediately after the

war—a military tribunal or a foreign laboratory—and, in such cases, which need would

supersede the other?

“It was a bitter choice,” Soderbergh acknowledges. “Either the Russians get these guys

and they win the arms race, or we whitewash their backgrounds and bring them to the U.S. and

we win the arms race. There was no high ground to take. There just wasn’t.”

Says Attanasio, “It was a deal with the devil. And when America makes those kinds of

decisions, they come at a high price because our ideals are part of our power and how we are

perceived by the world. Those scientists held the knowledge of how to make rockets, and

rockets and nuclear weapons were the definition of military power. We needed this to keep us

safe and it did, through the Cold War. Yet these were men who were deeply involved with war

crimes by any definition and the definition the government had at that time was quite loose:

simply, who was an ‘ardent’ Nazi and who wasn’t?”

Beyond the purely practical, Attanasio suggests, “There may have been an even subtler

and more powerful argument. We needed to look away. We needed to look away for life to go

on.”

Bringing “The Good German” to the Screen

Steven Soderbergh worked closely with Attanasio to draw Joseph Kanon’s novel The

Good German through a slightly different prism for the screen. “It had great characters and a

fascinating premise, very dramatic and cinematic, but we needed to amplify elements of the story

and the issues it was laying out,” says Soderbergh. “Of all the adaptations I’ve been involved

with, this was the most difficult because there are so many moving parts. Murder mysteries are a

difficult genre because you’re always concerned about revealing too much information or not

enough. Ultimately, it’s how you release the information and when that’s everything. It’s also

difficult to judge the impact of something on the page that, in this case, you know will be

represented in a very theatrical visual style.”

Regarding the film’s narrative structure, he says, “Paul and I tried out different ideas on

how to do it, but it wasn’t until we settled on this ‘baton pass’ between the characters that the

whole thing fell together.” He decided to move the action continuously forward while subtly

shifting the point of view from one character to another—first Tully, then Jake, and then Lena—

a structure that required the enlargement of Tully’s role, which was significantly smaller in the

book.

Though not an easy method to employ without compromising the story’s drive or

emotional momentum, it proved well worth the effort, Attanasio says, explaining, “This fractured

point of view on the events, and the way that we only really know the narrative at specific points

from one character’s perspective is an example of form following content. What we’re trying to

capture is the question of how well can you ever really know another person? It’s a classic film

noir theme and it fits the political context. After the war, with 30 million dead, Europe in ruins,

and the knowledge that your neighbor might be a murderer, there was plenty of guilt to go

around.”

“No one gets away clean. There are no good guys here,” says Clooney. “Everyone has

done some terrible things along the way. There’s a point at which Jake tries to reassure Lena

that she hasn’t done anything wrong, and she says, ‘I survived.’ You can argue the reasons and

the values of how she survived but you’re never going to understand the circumstances she was

facing. In the end, you can look at these characters and maybe justify everything they’ve done.

But that doesn’t make it right.”

The Characters

Jake Geismer embodies the moral complexity of the time and brings a distinctly

American point of view to the situation in Berlin. Says Soderbergh, “The role seemed to be

written for George Clooney. It’s the quintessential George role: intelligent, energetic,

opinionated and fearless.”

Jake’s Peace Conference assignment holds little interest for him, but Tully’s death stirs

his dormant reporters’ instinct by offering him the possibility of a story behind the story he’s

been sent to cover. “I like the idea that this is a murder mystery wrapped up in a much larger

historical event,” says Clooney, who came to the project well aware of the realities depicted in

the film, having grown up “with a lot of World War II and Cold War history. “The Americans

didn’t want a headline in the middle of the Peace Conference that would start World War III. It

was a very tenuous moment. Everyone was shaking hands over their victory and then, within

seconds, putting up demarcation zones and fighting over the spoils of the war. Immediately the

Cold War began.”

Although it bothers Jake profoundly that Tully’s murder is dismissed by those who

should be committed to unearthing the truth, he fails to acknowledge similar inconsistencies in

his own life. As Soderbergh explains, “Jake is a character who always has a chip on his shoulder

towards people he feels aren’t taking the moral high ground, but he was having this affair with a

married woman, and, at some point, he has all of the information to put together what’s really

happening and just refuses to see it. He has all kinds of ideals but also an incredible blind spot

which means, inevitably, he’s going to get some sort of rude awakening or comeuppance. In my

experience, people with that problem are confronted with the contradiction, and how they deal

with it is a function of their character.”

Nothing comes easily for Jake, emotionally or otherwise, which brings a note of wry

humor into the portrayal, says Jacobs. “He’s the hero but he’s far from invincible. Every step of

the way he’s duped, he’s lied to, he’s beaten up. Still, he perseveres.”

Attanasio believes that, in a larger sense, Jake is just lost in the sophistication of post-war

Europe. “Like Tully, he thinks he knows everything, but he’s in over his head. And being in

love with Lena doesn’t help him.”

“He knows getting involved with her again isn’t the brightest move and he’s aware that

she might be playing him,” Clooney admits. “But I think he believes, at the end of the day, that

Lena deserves one break and he’s going to make sure she gets it.”

Lena, meanwhile, seems untouched by sentiment. “The interesting thing about Lena is

that she accepts that she’s been sullied by the events of the past years and will never be the same,

and, therefore, she and Jake can never return to what they once had,” says Blanchett, who

prepared for her role by reading personal accounts of women who survived the war and its

aftermath. “These women sought to protect themselves by denying their emotions and adopting

a gallows humor about the commonplace brutality and deprivation of their lives. In one diary, a

woman described that she could no longer recall happiness. When her fiancé returns and

embraces her, she’s like ice in his arms. When you’ve been exposed to the depravity of human

nature on a daily basis, happiness becomes a hollow concept, and I think this is how Lena feels

about Jake. Why did he come back? To save her? For what?”

“Lena is extremely complicated and there wasn’t enough time within the story to explore

all the factors that have influenced her life,” says Soderbergh. “But Cate is able to convey that in

the depth of her expression.”

“The beauty of Lena is that she never gives up who she is,” adds Clooney. “She’s like

the Faye Dunaway character in ‘Chinatown.’ Every single time she tells Jake something, he

believes her, and almost every single time she’s lying.”

Lena also lies to Tully. Says Maguire, “He thinks they have a real relationship. In fact,

he thinks he has her under his thumb, but she has things going on that he’s not privy to. With

Tully, there’s always a level that he is aware of and a deeper level that escapes him.

“Tully’s a reptile, an opportunist who changes roles depending on who he’s with,” he

continues, describing a character who gifts Jake with a bottle of whisky and simultaneously picks

his pocket. “He comes off very patriotic and apple pie and, meanwhile, he has this whole

underground life. Everyone is a mark to him.”

As Attanasio sees him, “Here’s a guy who was probably a choirboy back in Illinois, but,

suddenly, in the dislocation and poverty of post-war Berlin, he finds his calling. He can finally

be the person he’s always wanted to be; he can do and say anything he wants and he’s making

money. Tully is deplorable and savage but completely recognizable. It makes you wonder what

anyone might do with the same opportunity.”

In a game with smaller stakes, Tully could be successful. But here, says Maguire, “He

finds himself in a situation he’s not powerful enough or smart enough to handle. He can’t see

the whole game. By the time Jake arrives, things are getting intense for him and he’s feeling the

pressure from all sides, even from people who were formerly his best contacts.”

“We were interested in having somebody play that role who hadn’t played a role like it

before, and you couldn’t ask for a better contrast than to go from Spiderman to Tully,”

Soderbergh attests.

“Movies from the classic era always had a fantastic gallery of supporting characters,” he

goes on to note. Those playing significant supporting roles in “The Good German” are Beau

Bridges as American Colonel Muller, Ravil Isyanov as Russian General Sikorsky, Leland Orser

as U.S. military attorney Bernie Teitel, and Robin Weigert as Lena’s roommate, Hannelore.

Although the characterizations in “The Good German” are fictional and not meant to

represent specific people, there would actually have been an American general serving as the

deputy military governor of Berlin at the time. In the film, that person is Colonel Muller, of

whom Ben Cosgrove says, “His job is to represent law and order. At the same time, he is there

to protect American interests and sometimes that requires bending the rules. It might mean

looking the other way when a U.S. serviceman working the black market gets killed because it

will shine a light onto something better left in the dark.”

“The purpose of the office was to get the country back on its feet as quickly as possible

so everyone could go home,” offers Beau Bridges, who studied numerous non-fiction accounts

of the period in preparation for his role. “It was an immense responsibility, on top of which

Muller has to keep an eye on the Russians because he doesn’t trust them and he knows they’re

working their own angle. To him, Jake is an annoyance but, at the same time, a person who may

have valuable information.”

Muller’s counterpart in the Russian zone is General Sikorsky. Like Muller, he is looking

out for his country’s interests, not to mention his own. Sikorsky is one of Tully’s best customers

when it comes to cases of liquor and other luxuries, but his attitude changes drastically when

Tully tries to barter with a more dangerous commodity.

“Ravil Isyanov expresses a world-weariness that you cannot put a price on,” declares

Soderbergh of the Russian-born actor who honed his craft at the Moscow Art Theater before

emigrating to England and, finally, to the U.S. “He gives Sikorsky the air of a career military

officer who has already seen and done everything, and to whom nothing comes as a surprise.”

Representing the legal perspective is Leland Orser as army special prosecutor Bernie

Teitel, charged with the formidable job of examining Nazi personnel files to determine who

should stand trial for war crimes. Like Muller, Bernie is fictional, although there was a man in

that position at the time. As Cosgrove notes, “In our research, we discovered a man who worked

for the State Department who was very much like Bernie, trying to decide which Nazi scientists

would be permitted to enter the U.S. and which would not. He had a strong moral sense and

refused to whitewash anyone’s past. He was eventually moved to another job.”

“Bernie is up against total corruption,” Orser admits. “The question is, how much is he

willing to compromise his own morality to get his job done? You have to draw the line

somewhere: some will be forgiven and some punished.” Orser sees the relationship between

Bernie and Jake as similar to “a DA and a reporter. There’s a slight edge to it, a little

antagonistic. Bernie has leads that Jake wants and Jake might have information Bernie can use.”

In the role of sometime-cabaret performer and sometime-prostitute Hannelore, the

filmmakers cast Robin Weigert. Hannelore shares a shabby apartment with Lena, although the

two women share nothing else—not taste, not temperament, and not confidences. Hannelore is

strong, shamelessly opportunistic, and apparently untroubled by conscience.

“In essence, Hannelore is the only comic relief in the movie,” says Soderbergh. “It was

easily a character that could have been sad or pathetic. When you read her scenes on the page,

they don’t necessarily seem funny, but Robin brought this attitude that made those scenes comic

in the way they needed to be.”

Matching a Contemporary Perspective to the Mood and Style of Classic Hollywood

Long inspired by the classics, and, in particular, the atmospheric film noir genre typified

by films such as “Casablanca,” “The Third Man,” “Out of the Past” and “Notorious,” Soderbergh

decided to shoot “The Good German” in the noir tradition—not only thematically but

technically.

Though his use of black-and-white cinematography is the most visually striking retro

element, the director also employed vintage camera lenses, an old-style score, simulated rear-

projections for background shots, and the traditional swipe cut to shift scenes, favored by

directors of that era. He confined filming to the backlot and limited local sites, and

supplemented his sets with archival footage—some of it shot in Berlin just after the war by

legendary directors Billy Wilder and William Wyler—that provided not only the necessary

historical backgrounds but helped set the tone with its undeniably authentic bleakness.

Additionally, Soderbergh directed the actors in a style of performance that, as Jacobs

describes, “was markedly theatrical and really harkens back to that 1940s style of acting.” Says

Soderbergh, “it’s the antithesis to the way actors perform today. It’s a very outward way of

acting; not so introspective or self-reflective.”

“You’re acting towards the camera, rather than acting and letting the camera catch you,”

Clooney notes the fine distinction. “There’s very little internalizing; everything is right out in

front and very direct. It’s definitely a different style from what any of us were used to.”

At the same time, “The Good German” is very much a modern movie, with modern

sensibilities. Says Cosgrove, “Everything has a 1940s feel, but the subject matter and the

language is very contemporary and the story itself is peppered with ideas too provocative to have

been approached during that period.”

“What if,” suggests Soderbergh, “filmmakers working in Hollywood in 1945 had the

same creative freedom we have today? What if there was no Hayes Code and they were able to

be as blunt and realistic as we are in depicting some of the dramatic or physical elements like

violence and sexuality? Most of our reference points about how people behaved during that

period are based on movies from that period, which are not an accurate representation of how

people behaved. There were terrible moral compromises being made in that environment. It will

be interesting to see how audiences will wrap their minds around the blending of these two

ideas.”

Creating Post-War Berlin on the Backlot:

Traditional Filmmaking Techniques Recapture the 1940s

“Steven takes different approaches to different projects,” says Gregory Jacobs, who

collaborates here with the director for the 14th time. “‘Traffic,’ for example, was all hand-held

and more of a run-and-gun technique, while ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ and ‘Ocean’s Twelve’ were his

take on a big Hollywood production. He found the perfect way to tell this story by shooting it

like a 1940s movie, using one camera rather than two, with shots that are very formally

composed. A lot of scenes were covered in master shots, whereas today it tends to be wider

coverage and everyone gets their close-ups and reverses. This time he designed very specific

masters that cover a lot of the scene and went in for close-ups as needed, the way they used to do

it. Watch a movie like ‘Notorious’ or ‘Casablanca’ and you’ll see it.”

Studying script continuities and reading script supervisors’ notes from 60-year-old

productions, Soderbergh learned how his predecessors worked within the practical restrictions of

the backlot. “It was really challenging and fun at the same time,” he says, acknowledging that,

“in many instances, we had to do what they did in the 1940s. We had to cheat the way they

cheated. Sometimes we read and discovered how they did it and sometimes we had to figure out

on our own how they must have done it.”

One modern cheat was Soderbergh’s use of high-contrast color stock. Having shot black-

and-white film on his 1991 thriller “Kafka,” he knew its tendency to be slow and grainy, and so

opted to shoot “The Good German” on color stock, then pull the color out, as George Clooney

recently did with “Good Night, and Good Luck.”

Soderbergh was joined by another longtime collaborator, production designer Philip

Messina. Working for the first time with black-and-white and almost exclusively with backlot

sets, Messina found these tight parameters alternately limiting and liberating. “Black-and-white

doesn’t reflect subtlety as color does, so we needed to use a heavier hand with texture, detail and

aging in order to make it read,” he says, noting that early camera tests helped to get the painters

and construction crew on track. Messina also prepared by taking digital photos of works in

progress and converting them to black-and-white with Photoshop. “Things that looked overly

theatrical in color were absolutely gorgeous in black-and-white.”

That lack of subtlety worked in his favor when Messina needed to create shadows behind

broken windows. Instead of cutting the glass, he spray-mounted strips of black felt to the backs

and got the same final effect, admitting, “I don’t think you could get away with that in color, but

in black-and-white it was convincing.” Existing structures that were inappropriately peach or

pink-hued did not require repainting because in the final print they appeared gray.

As Messina explains, “We tried to build everything and not rely on CG. I walked onto

the lot thinking, ‘I need a German nightclub, a Russian checkpoint,’ and so on, while looking at

New York Street or Philadelphia Street and wondering how we were going to do it. But once we

got into it, things began to fall into place and we started seeing Berlin.”

The destruction in Berlin was haphazard, often leaving wholly intact buildings right next

to bomb-blasted lots, so production took a similar approach. Leaving existing facades largely

unaltered, they built additional structures in various stages of wreckage on parking lots or in the

open spaces between them, creating portions of what, on film, looked like whole streets.

Confining themselves to the lot required very strategic camera placement and planning,

as Messina outlines: “Most of our shots are either one or two angles on a scene, and that’s how

we were able to pull it off. For example, for a scene at a bus stop, I constructed pieces of a

blasted building that Steven shot through, and the borders of the building masked everything we

didn’t want to see. Rubble is very liberating. It saves you from having to justify a piece of

architecture because you can just say, ‘Well, let’s pretend the roof has fallen in.’ In the process,

you’ve made a perfect frame for what you want to see. Steven did a nice pullback and took it

right to the edges of what we had built. Otherwise, you’d be looking right off our set.”

Says Soderbergh, “It was designing the movie to within an inch of its life, telling Phil ‘I

will only see this side of the set, I will only pan from there to there.’”

This is the opposite of how the director and production designer usually work. Messina

is accustomed to providing 360-degree coverage options on his sets to allow for Soderbergh’s

on-set spontaneity. “But the great thing about Steven is that he’s okay with limitations,” remarks

Jacobs. “If you tell him he can only pan this far, he’ll find a way to make maximum use of that.

Here, everything was tight. Phil was taking parts of a set we had shot on the backlot and using it

on stage, doubling and tripling up walls, which is how they did it back then. We moved the same

pile of rubble from one set to another with a crane.”

Among the exterior sets created on the backlot were the bus stop, the Russian checkpoint

and the back entrance to the Bugi Wugi Club where Jake and Lena first see each other again and

where Jake and Tully later get into a fight.

Extending and enhancing the new material was archival footage of Berlin street life shot

right after the war by numerous sources, from European and American film directors to the U.S.

Army, and kept at the National Archives in Washington, DC, the Imperial War Museum in

London and similar archives in Paris and Moscow. Much of it had to be cleaned up before it

could be used, and the bulk of it was in color, requiring Soderbergh to convert it for his 21stcentury

black-and-white film.

Footage shot on location by Billy Wilder for the 1948 film “Foreign Affair” was still

available and used for some of the driving scenes in “The Good German,” as in the opening

sequence when Tully picks Jake up from the airport.

Production then briefly ventured off the lot to nearby locations. “We found Potsdam in

Pasadena,” says Jacobs, revealing that exteriors of a private home served as Berlin’s Hof Palace,

site of the Potsdam Conference, while the Mayfield Senior School provided its interiors. In

nearby La Canada, scenes of the woods and Havel River were filmed at Descanso Gardens. Los

Angeles’ historic Tower Theater stood in for the interior of a movie theater in the French Sector

and a church was used for scenes at a hospital. The Twin Springs Design Center became U.S.

Occupation Headquarters. Finally, San Bernardino International Airport was transformed into

Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport, circa 1945.

Antique props were obtained directly from Germany. Says Messina, “We had a shopper

in Berlin who sent us a sea crate full of everything from vintage toilets to telephones, light

switches, signs and stoves—things we would never find here. He sent pieces of tile that we

reproduced and built into the kitchen walls of Lena’s apartment.”

Adding ambience were tanks and military vehicles and vintage cars. Among the most

striking was a 1937 Rolls Phantom 3 (V-12) that had actually belonged to Field Marshall

Montgomery, who put 360,000 miles on it during the war. The filmmakers also acquired the use

of a 1936 Chrysler Airflow Limousine, documented to have been driven in Potsdam during the

conference, and a 1937 Packard LeBaron towncar, both of which are the only models still in

existence.

Soderbergh’s commitment to traditional technique extended to his use of camera lenses.

Examining continuity reports from Michael Curtiz films such as “Mildred Pierce,” he

determined, “They were basically using five lenses—a 50mm, a 40mm, a 32mm, a 28mm and a

24mm—and we pretty much stuck to that. As technology developed, lenses have improved and

one of the things that has happened is that now there’s a coating to reduce flares when there’s a

light pointing into the lens or kicking off of something. We were trying to find lenses that didn’t

have this modern coating because we wanted those anomalies they used to get. Panavision

pulled some of their early lenses for us. Some people would consider them not as good, but, in

our opinion, for this they were better. It absolutely had an impact.”

The fact that Soderbergh functions as director of photography on many of his films, “The

Good German” included, accelerates the pace of the production process, as those in his regular

crew can attest. “Steven moves fast,” says Messina. “He doesn’t fall behind schedule; he gets

ahead.”

Costuming, and Lessons on How to Wear a Proper Hat

Costume designer Louise Frogley worked with black-and-white on “Good Night, and

Good Luck” and, like Messina, found the palette more liberating than challenging. She could

use red shoes if they were handy, knowing they would appear black on film. “We put all sorts of

mad combinations together without regard to color,” she says. “For contrast we relied on texture

and patterns.”

Raised in post-war London, “playing on bombsites,” Frogley was still surprised by the

degree to which Berlin had been destroyed, and crafted the wardrobe accordingly. “Everything

was based on logistics and economics. It was a world of desperate poverty, grime and filth, lack

of water, lack of food, and lack of privacy or personal safety, and you see that reflected in the

clothing. Women would wear turbans or scarves because they couldn’t wash their hair. They

would wear bulky coats even in the summer to make themselves as unattractive as possible in an

atmosphere where rape was commonplace. People often carried their valuables with them in

rucksacks. They didn’t have much clothing and what they had was old.”

At the same time, “People in the black market had money. You’d see prostitutes wearing

the latest fashions, nail polish and high heels, provided that they had someone powerful taking

care of them. It was a totally corrupt environment.”

Frogley patterned George Clooney’s wardrobe after war correspondents of the time, who

favored dark shirts with lighter ties. “Technically, they weren’t supposed to wear dark shirts but

they did it because they liked it,” she explains. “Jake would have done the same just to buck the

system. He’d loosen his tie, leave his jacket unbuttoned and his hat cocked to one side, things no

other officer would have done.”

For Cate Blanchett, the key was elegance. “Lena would find a way to be chic within her

limits,” says Frogley. “She didn’t have much money and would have to buy dresses on the black

market, but they wouldn’t be the latest styles. Still, she’d be more naturally tasteful than her

roommate, Hannelore, who’s coarse and generally not as well put together.”

The designer’s largest challenge, by volume, was assembling period military uniforms for

the four occupying armies. “We had them made all over the world and a lot of it doesn’t match

but that’s okay because they didn’t match at the time either,” she reveals. The Soviet uniforms,

in particular, were coming out of a transitional stage in the early 1940s, wherein medals and

insignia denoting rank were being gradually restored after years of being banned in an effort to

convey equality among the troops—a concept that, by the 40s, everyone agreed had fostered

more inefficiency than morale.

Moscow-born Ravil Isyanov, who plays General Sikorsky, helped the costume designer

identify the various Russian military medals she had assembled, to determine which of them

would be appropriate for the general to wear.

Frogley found it humorous that so many of her young extras had no idea how to wear

their pants or their hats correctly for the time and says, laughing, “We had tremendous trouble

getting them to keep their trousers up, because the style now is to wear them lower. We had to

put suspenders on them so they couldn’t be adjusted and still they tried, every time we turned

around. They also needed hat lessons—back goes up, front goes down, pinch here—otherwise

they’d wear them on the back of their heads. They were just naughty.”

The Musical Element

Another essential period element in the film was the score, which, Soderbergh states,

“is as important as casting and as integral as production design and costume design. “I knew I

was burdening Thomas Newman with an incredible task. The good news is that his father wrote

this kind of music. It’s in his DNA.”

Newman is the son of the late, famed composer and conductor Alfred Newman.

Newman Sr. and his contemporaries, such as Max Steiner and Dimitri Tiomkin, provided

Hollywood films of the 1930s, 40s and 50s with notably dynamic scores. It was Steiner’s

contention that a score should enhance and support the emotional content of a scene. This is the

point of view Soderbergh wanted for “The Good German,” and the reason he selected some of

Steiner’s work as a temp score during production.

“There was temp music I had in certain scenes that were expositional,” says Soderbergh.

“When I sat down with Thomas, he said, ‘I think we need to go in a different direction with this

underscore because the temp music is not letting me hear the dialogue the way I need to hear it,

or to understand the importance of what the characters are discussing.’ So he went in a different

direction, which literally makes you listen to the dialogue differently, and created something

absolutely perfectly in that idiom. It lifted the whole movie up.

“The score is spectacular and complements the movie so well, not only emotionally,

which you would expect, but in the way it helps express the narrative,” the director explains.

“That’s especially important in a story like this, where there is so much subterfuge and so much

depends upon what is being said or not said…known or not known.”

ABOUT THE CAST

GEORGE CLOONEY (Jake Geismer) has transitioned from television actor to motion

picture actor to producer, executive producer and director.

In 2005 he was honored with three Oscar nominations: Best Director and Best Original

Screenplay for “Good Night, and Good Luck.” and Best Supporting Actor for his performance in

“Syriana.” He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It was the first time in Academy

history that an individual received acting and directing nominations for two different films.

Clooney most recently wrapped “Ocean’s Thirteen,” the third film in the successful

“Ocean’s” franchise, and will next begin production on Tony Gilroy’s “Michael Clayton.” Both

films are scheduled for release in 2007.

Clooney is partnered with Grant Heslov in the film and television production company

Smoke House. The two previously worked together at Section Eight, in which Clooney was

partnered with Steven Soderbergh. Section Eight has produced numerous films, including

“Good Night, and Good Luck.,” “Syriana,” “Ocean’s Twelve,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Confessions

of a Dangerous Mind,” “The Jacket,” “Full Frontal” and “Welcome to Collinwood.” Clooney

was an executive producer on two critically acclaimed Section Eight films, “Insomnia” and “Far

From Heaven.”

For Section Eight’s television division, Clooney served as an executive producer and

directed five episodes of “Unscripted,” a reality-based show that debuted on HBO in 2005. He

also was an executive producer and cameraman for HBO’s “K-Street.”

Clooney made his directorial debut in 2002 with “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” for

which he won the Special Achievement in Film Award from the National Board of Review. He

followed in 2005 with “Good Night, and Good Luck,” in which he also co-stars, receiving

recognition for his work on both sides of the camera by nearly every major film critics

organization. He won the Paul Selvin Award from the Writers Guild of America, the Freedom

Award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the David Lean Award for Best

Directing from the British Film Academy, and earned nominations for two Oscars, three Golden

Globes, two BAFTAs, a SAG Award, an Independent Spirit Award, two Critics’ Choice awards,

a WGA and DGA Award, among others.

That same year Clooney co-produced “Syriana,” in which he starred as a CIA agent

fighting terrorism, earning accolades worldwide, including an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award

for his supporting role. He was also nominated for a SAG, BAFTA and Critics’ Choice Award.

In 2000, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or

Comedy, for his work in the Coen brothers’ “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” He also earned

critical acclaim in the award-winning drama “Three Kings” and the Oscar-nominated “Out of

Sight.” His other film credits include “Solaris,” “The Peacemaker,” “Batman & Robin,” “One

Fine Day” and “From Dusk Till Dawn.”

Clooney has starred in several television series but is best known for his five years on the

hit NBC drama “ER.” His portrayal of Dr. Doug Ross earned him Golden Globe, Screen Actors

Guild, People’s Choice and Emmy Award nominations.

He was also an executive producer and co-star of the live television broadcast of “Fail

Safe,” an Emmy-winning telefilm developed through his Maysville Pictures and based on the

early 1960s novel of the same name. “Fail Safe” was nominated for a 2000 Golden Globe Award

as Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television.

CATE BLANCHETT (Lena Brandt) won an Academy Award for her critically

acclaimed portrayal of Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator.” She was also

honored with BAFTA and SAG Awards and a Golden Globe nomination for the role. In 1999,

Blanchett earned her first Oscar nomination and first BAFTA and Golden Globe Awards for her

portrayal of another famous figure, Queen Elizabeth I, in Shekhar Kapur’s “Elizabeth.” She will

reprise the role in Kapur’s sequel, “The Golden Age,” set for a late 2007 release.

Blanchett is currently starring in “Babel,” opposite Brad Pitt. She will next be seen in

“Notes on a Scandal,” opposite Dame Judi Dench. Blanchett also recently completed production

on “I’m Not There,” a film based on the life of Bob Dylan, directed by Todd Haynes, and is

beginning work on the fantasy drama “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” with Brad Pitt, in

January 2007.

Blanchett has also earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Actress for the title role in

Joel Schumacher’s “Veronica Guerin” and her work in Barry Levinson’s “Bandits.” Among her

other film credits are “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy; Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic with

Steve Zissou”; Jim Jarmusch’s “Coffee & Cigarettes,” for which she earned an Independent

Spirit Award nomination; Ron Howard’s “The Missing,” opposite Tommy Lee Jones; “Charlotte

Gray,” directed by Gillian Armstrong; Lasse Hallstrom’s “The Shipping News,” with Kevin

Spacey; Rowan Woods’ “Little Fish,” with Sam Neill and Hugo Weaving; Mike Newell’s

“Pushing Tin,” with John Cusack; Oliver Parker’s “An Ideal Husband”; Anthony Minghella’s

“The Talented Mr. Ripley,” for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best

Supporting Actress; Sam Raimi’s “The Gift”; and Sally Potter’s “The Man Who Cried,” for

which she was named Best Supporting Actress by the National Board of Review.

A graduate of Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art, Blanchett includes among

her earlier film credits Bruce Beresford’s “Paradise Road”; “Thank God He Met Lizzie,” for

which she won both the Australian Film Institute (AFI) and the Sydney Film Critics awards for

Best Supporting Actress; and Gillian Armstrong’s “Oscar and Lucinda,” opposite Ralph Fiennes,

for which she also earned an AFI nomination for Best Actress.

Blanchett’s extensive theatre work includes productions with Company B, an ensemble

including Geoffrey Rush, Gillian Jones and Richard Roxburgh, based at Belvoir St., under the

direction of Neil Armfield. Her roles included Miranda in “The Tempest,” Ophelia in “Hamlet,”

for which she earned a Green Room Award nomination, Nina in “The Seagull,” and Rose in

“The Blind Giant is Dancing.” For the Sydney Theater Company she appeared in Caryl

Churchill’s “Top Girls,” David Mamet’s “Oleanna” (winning The Sydney Theater Critics award

for Best Actress), Michael Gow’s “Sweet Phoebe” and Timothy Daly’s “Kafka Dances,” for

which she received the Critics Circle award for Best Newcomer. For the Almeida Theatre in

1999, Blanchett played Susan Traheren in David Hare’s “Plenty” in London’s West End. In

2004, Blanchett returned to the Sydney Theatre Company for the title role in Andrew Upton’s

adaptation of “Hedda Gabler.” The play was a critical success, earning her the prestigious

Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play.

Currently, Blanchett is making her directorial debut with the play “A Kind of Alaska,” at

the Sydney Theatre Company.

TOBEY MAGUIRE (Tully) is currently in production on “Spider-Man 3,” the third

installment of the comic book film franchise, which reunites the actor with director Sam Raimi

and co-stars Kirsten Dunst and James Franco. ”Spider-Man 3” is slated for release in May

2007. He recently reprised his starring role as the title hero in Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2,” the hit

sequel to the 2002 international blockbuster “Spider-Man.” To date, Maguire’s first two

“Spider-Man” films have grossed nearly 1.6 billion dollars worldwide.

In 2003, Maguire delivered a memorable performance as jockey Red Pollard in Gary

Ross’s multiple Oscar-nominated drama “Seabiscuit,” and also served as an executive producer

on the film. As a producer, Maguire has an exclusive, two-year, first-look production deal with

Sony Pictures. His first outing under that deal teamed him with producer Julia Chasman and

Industry Entertainment’s Nick Wechsler on the screen adaptation of David Benioff’s novel The

25th Hour directed by Spike Lee and starring Ed Norton.

Currently in development is “Electroboy,” based on the Andy Behrman memoir, and

“Justice Deferred,” based on Len Williams’ novel. Maguire will then team with Wendy

Finerman to produce a big-screen adaptation of Jonathan Troper’s novel, “Everything Changes.”

In 2001, Maguire lent his voice to the live action/digitally animated comedy “Cats &

Dogs,” and, in 2000, he starred opposite Michael Douglas, Robert Downey Jr. and Frances

McDormand in Curtis Hanson’s “Wonder Boys.” The year before he starred in Lasse

Hallstrom’s critically acclaimed romantic drama “The Cider House Rules,” with Michael Caine,

and in Ang Lee’s Civil War epic “Ride With the Devil.”

Previously, Maguire collaborated with “Seabiscuit” director Gary Ross on the 1998

comedy-fantasy “Pleasantville,” with co-star Reese Witherspoon. In 1997, he received critical

notice for his role in Ang Lee’s “The Ice Storm,” opposite Joan Allen, Kevin Kline, Sigourney

Weaver and Christina Ricci.

Maguire first gained attention with his performance in Griffin Dunne’s Academy Award-

nominated short film “Duke of Groove,” with Kate Capshaw, Uma Thurman and Kiefer

Sutherland. His additional feature film credits include Woody Allen’s literary satire

“Deconstructing Harry,” alongside an all-star cast that included Allen, Billy Crystal and Robin

Williams; Terry Gilliam’s gonzo-comedy “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” based on the novel

by Hunter S. Thompson and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro; “S.F.W.,” opposite

Reese Witherspoon; and “This Boy’s Life,” with Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin and Leonardo

DiCaprio.

BEAU BRIDGES (Colonel Muller) has been repeatedly honored for his work in films

and on television during a career that has spanned more than four decades. In 1990, he was

named Best Supporting Actor by the National Society of Film Critics for his performance in

“The Fabulous Baker Boys,” in which he starred with his brother, Jeff. In 1992, he earned an

Emmy and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his work in “Without Warning: The James

Brady Story.” The following year, he won another Emmy and Golden Globe Award for Best

Supporting Actor for his performance in “The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged

Cheerleader-Murdering Mom.” He gained a third Emmy Award in 1997, again for Best

Supporting Actor, for his work in “The Second Civil War.” In addition, he has been Emmynominated

for his performances in “We Were the Mulvaneys,” “P.T. Barnum,” “Inherit the

Wind,” “Hidden in America,” “Kissinger and Nixon” and “The Outer Limits.” He has also

received Golden Globe nominations for the telefilm “Losing Chase” and, earlier in his career, for

the feature “For Love of Ivy.”

Currently, Bridges has a regular role on the hit Sci-Fi Channel series “Stargate SG1.” On

the big screen, he will next be seen in the film version of the classic “Charlotte’s Web.”

The son of Lloyd Bridges, Beau made his feature film debut at age eight in “The Red

Pony,” and also appeared in his father’s television series, “Sea Hunt.” In 1967, Bridges played

his first adult role in the movie “The Incident,” and he has since worked virtually nonstop. His

film credits include Norman Jewison’s “Gaily, Gaily”; Hal Ashby’s “The Landlord”; Peter

Ustinov’s “Hammersmith is Out,” with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; Sidney Lumet’s

“Child’s Play”; “The Other Side of the Mountain”; “Two-Minute Warning”; “Greased

Lightning”; “Norma Rae,” with Sally Field; “Night Crossing”; “Heart Like a Wheel”; “The

Hotel New Hampshire”; Arthur Hiller’s “Married to It”; and “Jerry Maguire.” He was more

recently seen in the independent features “Sordid Lives,” and “The Ballad of Jack and Rose.”

On the stage, Bridges appeared in the Broadway productions of William Inge’s “Where’s

Daddy?” and Peter Ustinov’s “Who’s Who in Hell.” His other theater work includes the original

productions of Daniel Berrigan’s “The Trial of the Catonsville Nine” and Jane Anderson’s

“Looking for Normal.”

Behind the camera, Bridges has directed the films “The Wild Pair” and “Seven Hours to

Judgment,” also starring in both. For television, his directing credits include the telefilms

“Secret Sins of the Father,” starring Lloyd Bridges, and “The Thanksgiving Promise,” which

starred three generations of Bridges: Lloyd, Beau and Beau’s son, Jordan.

TONY CURRAN (Danny), a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and

Drama, made his film debut in Bill Forsyth’s “Being Human,” with Robin Williams. After a

string of independent features, he landed a recurring role on the UK dramatic series “This Life.”

Following a role in “The 13th Warrior,” starring Antonio Banderas, the Glasgow native

appeared in the international hits “Gladiator” and “Blade II.” His first major lead was as The

Invisible Man in “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” opposite Sean Connery. He went

on to star opposite Dennis Quaid in the 2004 film “The Flight of the Phoenix.”

Curran’s most recent feature credits include “Underworld: Evolution” and Michael

Mann’s “Miami Vice.” He earned a 2006 British Independent Film Award nomination for his

starring role in Andrea Arnold’s “Red Road,” which won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film

Festival. He recently wrapped production on the pilot “Amped” and will next begin work on the

independent feature “Shuttle.”

LELAND ORSER (Bernie) is appearing in his third season as Dr. Lucien Dubenko on

the long-running NBC drama “ER.”

Among his feature film credits are “Twisted,” “Runaway Jury,” “Daredevil,” James

Foley’s “Confidence,” Michael Bay’s “Pearl Harbor,” Phillip Noyce’s “The Bone Collector,”

Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s “Alien: Resurrection,” Peter Berg’s “Very Bad Things,” Steven Spielberg’s

“Saving Private Ryan,” and David Fincher’s “Se7en.”

Orser’s other recent television credits include guest-starring roles on “Law & Order:

SVU,” “CSI” and “Wonderland,” as well as the 2004 television movie “Homeland Security.”

JACK THOMPSON (Congressman Breimer) has starred in three films for director

Bruce Beresford: “Breaker Morant,” for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Award at the

Cannes Film Festival and a Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute, “The Club” and

“Last Dance.” In 1994, he received the Film Critics Circle of Australia’s Best Actor Award for

his role in “The Sum of Us,” directed by Geoff Burton and Kevin Dowling.

Among Thompson’s additional film credits are director Niels Mueller’s “The

Assassination of Richard Nixon,” George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode II,” Michael Cristofer’s

“Original Sin,” Clint Eastwood’s “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” John Woo’s

“Broken Arrow,” Carrol Ballard’s “Wind,” Paul Verhoeven’s “Flesh and Blood,” Mike Newell’s

“Bad Blood,” George Miller’s “The Man from Snowy River,” Graeme Clifford’s “Burke &

Wills,” Fred Schepisi’s “The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith,” and Philippe Mora’s “Mad Dog

Morgan.”

American television audiences will recognize the Australian actor from his roles in “A

Woman of Independent Means,” the CBS miniseries “Last Frontier”; “Golda,” with Ingrid

Bergman; and the telefilms “Trouble in Paradise” and “The Letter.” In Australia, he starred in

the series “Spyforce,” and appeared in the miniseries “Waterfront” and the telefilms

“Because He’s My Friend,” “Linehaul” and “Smithie.”

ROBIN WEIGERT (Hannelore) is best known for her role as Calamity Jane in the HBO

series “Deadwood,” for which she received a 2004 Emmy Award nomination for Best

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She appeared previously on HBO as the Mormon Mother

in the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning “Angels in America,” directed by Mike Nichols.

On film, Weigert has been featured in “The Sleepy Time Gal” and “Loggerheads.” In

2007, she will be seen in the films “Reservations” and “Things We Lost in the Fire,” starring

Benicio del Toro and Halle Berry. Weigert’s other television appearances include guest-starring

roles on “Lost,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “The Unit “and “Cold Case.” She was a recipient of

the 2005 Breakthrough of the Year Award from Hollywood Life magazine.

On Broadway, Weigert most recently played the role of Poppy Norton-Taylor in the hit

revival “Noises Off,” and was nominated for Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel awards for her

acclaimed turn in Richard Nelson’s “Madame Melville,” with Joely Richardson and Macaulay

Culkin. She was also seen in “The Seagull” in Central Park, with a cast including Meryl Streep,

Kevin Klein, Natalie Portman, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Christopher Walken. Weigert’s

other theatre credits include Lincoln Center’s “Twelfth Night”; off-Broadway roles in “A Place

at the Table,” “Arms and the Man,” “Hamlet,” “Goodnight Children Everywhere,” “Pride’s

Crossing”; and off-off-Broadway appearances in “Hamlet,” “Macbeth” and “The Three Sisters.”

She has also performed regionally at McCarter, Arena Stage, Long Wharf, New York Stage and

Film, A.C.T. and the Berkshire Theater Festival. Between seasons two and three of

“Deadwood,” Weigert had the opportunity to play the role of Josie in “A Moon for the

Misbegotten” at A.C.T., for which she received a Bay Area Critics Circle Award.

RAVIL ISYANOV (General Sikorsky) has extensive film and television credits in the

United States as well as in Europe.

Among his American motion picture credits are “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” “Holes,” “K-19:

The Widowmaker,” “Arachnid,” “Along Came A Spider,” “The Shrink Is In,” “Octopus,” “The

Omega Code” “The Jackal,” “The Saint,” “Hamlet,” “GoldenEye,” “Hackers” and “Back in the

U.S.S.R.”

On television, he has appeared in the series “Commander in Chief,” “Without a Trace,”

“Alias,” “The Agency,” “JAG” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Born in Moscow, Isyanov was part of a cultural exchange between the Moscow Art

Theatre and Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company in the late 1980s. He was later invited to

study at the British American Drama Academy and then joined the Theatre Clwyd in Wales,

performing in a season of Russian plays. Following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union,

Isyanov remained in England, performing with the English Shakespeare Company and the

Moving Theatre Company, and teaching at the Drama Centre London, before relocating to the

U.S.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

“The Good German” is director STEVEN SODERBERGH’s sixteenth film, following

“Bubble,” “Ocean’s Twelve,” “Solaris,” “Full Frontal,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Traffic,” “Erin

Brockovich,” “The Limey,” “Out of Sight,” “Gray’s Anatomy,” “Schizopolis,” “The

Underneath,” “King of the Hill,” “Kafka” and “sex, lies, and videotape.” In 2001, Soderbergh

received the Best Director Academy Award for “Traffic.”

He also wrote, directed, photographed and edited “Equilibrium,” starring Alan Arkin,

Robert Downey, Jr. and Ele Keats, one of a trio of short eroticism-themed films released as

“Eros.” Michelangelo Antonioni and Wong Kar-wai directed the other two segments. The film

had its premiere at the 2004 Venice Film Festival.

In 2000, Soderbergh and George Clooney formed Section Eight, a film production

company based at Warner Bros. After their inaugural production, “Ocean’s Eleven,” they

executive produced “Far From Heaven,” written and directed by Todd Haynes. The critically

acclaimed homage to 1950s melodrama starred Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid.

In 2002, Section Eight released three films: “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” directed

by and starring George Clooney, with an ensemble cast including Sam Rockwell, Drew

Barrymore and Julia Roberts; “Insomnia,” directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Al Pacino,

Robin Williams and Hilary Swank; and “Welcome to Collinwood,” written and directed by

brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, with an ensemble cast including William H. Macy, Isaiah

Washington, Luis Guzman, Jennifer Esposito, Sam Rockwell and Clooney.

Section Eight opened four films in 2005, two of them going on to the Academy Awards.

“Goodnight, and Good Luck.,” directed by and starring George Clooney from a script by

Clooney and Grant Heslov, received six Academy Award nominations: Best Actor (David

Strathairn); Best Director (Clooney); Original Screenplay (Clooney and Heslov);

Cinematography (Robert Elswit); Art Direction (Jim Bissell) and Best Picture (Heslov). “Good

Night, and Good Luck.” had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival where Strathairn received

the Osella Cup for his portrayal of legendary CBS anchorman Edward R. Murrow while Clooney

and Haslov received the award for Best Screenplay.

“Syriana,” starring George Clooney, Matt Damon and Jeffrey Wright, received two

Academy Award nominations. George Clooney received the Oscar for Best Performance by an

Actor in a Supporting Role while writer-director Stephen Gaghan received a nomination for Best

Original Screenplay for his adaptation of the book See No Evil: The True Story of a Foot Soldier

in the CIA’s War on Terror, by Robert Baer.

“Rumor Has It…,” directed by Rob Reiner and starring Jennifer Aniston, Mark Ruffalo,

Kevin Costner and Shirley MacLaine and “The Jacket,” directed by John Maybury and starring

Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley and Jennifer Jason Leigh also were released in 2005.

Other Section Eight productions include “Ocean’s Twelve,” which reunited the entire

cast of the 2001 hit “Ocean’s Eleven,” plus Catherine Zeta-Jones and internationally acclaimed

actor Vincent Cassel, and “Criminal,” starring John C. Reilly, Diego Luna and Maggie

Gyllenhaal. Gregory Jacobs, who had collaborated with Soderbergh on ten prior films, made his

directorial debut on the film, which was screened at the 2004 Venice, Deauville and London

Film Festivals.

Soderbergh’s additional credits as producer include Greg Mottola’s “The

Daytrippers”(1997) and Gary Ross’ “Pleasantville” (1998). He was executive producer on

David Siegel and Scott McGhee’s “Suture” (1994), Godfrey Reggio’s “Naqoyqatsi” and Lodge

Kerrigan’s “Keane,” which played at the Telluride, Toronto and New York Film Festivals.

In 2003, Section Eight and HBO produced the television docudrama/political reality

program “K Street,” starring real-life political consultants James Carville and Mary Matalin. Costarring

in the project were a mix of actors, including John Slattery and Mary McCormack, as

well as real-life politicians. In January 2004, Section Eight and HBO premiered the fiction series

“Unscripted,” which detailed the lives of a small group of aspiring actors.

BEN COSGROVE (Producer) is Senior Vice President of Production at Paramount

Pictures. Previously, he was President of the production company Section Eight, where he

served as executive producer of such films as “Good Night, and Good Luck.,” “Syriana,” “A

Scanner Darkly,” “The Jacket,” “Criminal” and “Welcome to Collinwood.” He also produced

“Rumor Has It…” and served as associate producer on “Insomnia.”

Additional Section Eight productions include the hit “Ocean’s Eleven” and its sequel

“Ocean’s Twelve,” “Far From Heaven” and “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.”

Cosgrove’s first job in the entertainment industry was as a freelance reader at TriStar

Pictures, where he ultimately became Director of Creative Affairs. At TriStar he worked on

numerous projects, including “Jumanji,” “The Mask of Zorro” and “Devil in a Blue Dress,”

before joining George Clooney’s Warner Bros.-based production company Maysville Pictures.

GREGORY JACOBS (Producer) most recently served as executive producer on Steven

Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Thirteen,” scheduled for a 2007 release. The two began their association

in 1992 when Jacobs was first assistant director on Soderbergh’s “King of the Hill.”

Jacobs co-produced “Ocean’s Twelve,” the sequel to the highly successful “Ocean’s

Eleven,” and produced the director’s murder mystery “Bubble,” that starred only non-actors.

“Bubble” premiered at the Venice Film Festival before being screened at the Toronto and New

York Film Festivals.

Jacobs also produced “Equilibrium,” Soderbergh’s segment of a trio of short films

released together as “Eros,” with Michaelangelo Antonioni and Wong Kar-wai directing the

other two segments. He previously executive produced “Solaris” and produced “Full Frontal.”

He has collaborated with Soderbergh on six additional films: “Ocean’s Eleven,” the

Academy Award-winning “Traffic,” the Academy Award-nominated “Erin Brockovich,” “The

Limey,” “Out of Sight” and “The Underneath.”

Earlier this year, Jacobs directed the horror thriller “Wind Chill,” starring Emily Blunt,

Ashton Holmes and Martin Donovan. He made his directorial debut in 2003 on “Criminal,”

starring John C. Reilly, Diego Luna and Maggie Gyllenhaal, which screened at the Venice,

Deauville and London Film Festivals.

Jacobs began his entertainment industry career as a production assistant on independent

filmmaker John Sayles’ movie “Matewan.” He subsequently served as Sayles’ second assistant

director on “Eight Men Out” and “City of Hope.” As a first assistant director, he has worked

frequently with such notable directors as John Schlesinger, Roland Joffe, Hal Hartley and

Richard Linklater. Among his other credits are “Miller’s Crossing” and “Little Man Tate.”

PAUL ATTANASIO (Screenwriter) wrote the screenplays for “Quiz Show” and

“Donnie Brasco,” both of which received Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted

Screenplay. He also received the British Academy Award and the London Film Critics Circle

Award for “Quiz Show,” and was honored as Screenwriter of the Year by the National

Association of Theater Owners.

Attanasio is currently an executive producer on the award-winning Fox series “House

M.D.” He previously created the acclaimed NBC series “Homicide: Life on the Street,” winner

of three Peabody Awards.

Attanasio was formerly the chief film critic of the Washington Post.

BENJAMIN WAISBREN (Executive Producer) recently served as an executive

producer on the action drama “Blood Diamond,” the thriller “V for Vendetta” and the action

adventure “Poseidon.” He is a financier involved in the production and distribution of motion

pictures, both in the U.S and in Europe

Waisbren’s background includes law, investment banking and private equity investing.

His upcoming executive producer credits include “The Assassination of Jesse James by the

Coward Robert Ford,” “300,” “First Born,” “Gardener of Eden,” “Nancy Drew,” and “Duane

Hopwood.”

FREDERIC W. BROST (Executive Producer) began his association with Steven

Soderbergh in 1998 when he served as production manager on “Out of Sight.” He went on to

work with the director on the films “The Limey,” “Erin Brockovich,” “Traffic,” “Ocean’s

Eleven” and “Ocean’s Twelve,” which he also co-produced. He most recently co-produced

“Ocean’s Thirteen,” which will be released in 2007.

A graduate of the DGA’s Assistant Director Trainee program, Brost worked as an

assistant director or production manager on numerous feature and television projects with some

of the industry’s most respected directors, including Robert Altman, Arthur Hiller, George

Stevens, Mark Rydell, Mike Nichols, Richard Fleischer, Irvin Kershner and Daniel Petrie.

Leaving physical production, Brost became vice president and executive production

manager for Universal Pictures, supervising all aspects of production on more than 100 motion

pictures. Among the films he supervised were John Waters’ “Cry Baby,” Spike Lee’s “Do The

Right Thing,” Phil Robinson’s “Field of Dreams,” Ron Howard’s “Parenthood,” Harold Becker’s

“Sea of Love” and Paul Mazursky’s “Moon Over Parador.”

In 1990, Brost returned to production, serving as line producer/production manager on

such films as “Gigli,” “Zeus & Roxanne,” “Getting Away with Murder,” “Gordy,” “The

Sandlot,” “Encino Man” and “Sweet Poison.”

JOSEPH KANON (Author) began his career in publishing as a reader for The Atlantic

Monthly. He went on to a series of editorial and managerial positions, including president and

CEO of E. P. Dutton, and executive vice president at Houghton Mifflin as head of Trade and

Reference Publishing.

In 1995 he wrote his first book, Los Alamos, a historical thriller set during the last months

of the Manhattan Project. The book was a best-seller, translated into 18 languages, and won the

Edgar Award for best first novel. Subsequent books were The Prodigal Spy, The Good German,

and Alibi.

PHILIP MESSINA (Production Designer) reunites with Steven Soderbergh on “The

Good German,” following his collaboration with the director on “Ocean’s Twelve,” “Eros,”

“Solaris,” “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Traffic” and “Erin Brockovich.” The two began their association

on Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight,” on which Messina served as art director. He most recently

designed the film “Ocean’s Thirteen,” set for a 2007 release.

Messina’s work on “Ocean’s Eleven” earned a nomination in the contemporary film

category from the Art Directors Guild.

He also designed Gregory Jacob’s directorial debut, “Criminal,” as well as “8 Mile” for

director Curtis Hanson.

After earning a degree in architecture, Messina began his film industry career as a set

designer on “Mermaids,” “School Ties” and “Housesitter,” all filmed in the Boston area. Upon

relocating to Los Angeles, he went on to serve as art director on such films as “Hard Target,”

“The Neon Bible,” “Reckless,” “The Associate,” “Trial & Error” and “The Sixth Sense.”

Messina also designed the sets for the television series “Freaks and Geeks,” re-teaming

him with director Jake Kasdan, for whom he had served as the art director on Kasdan’s

directorial debut, “Zero Effect.”

LOUISE FROGLEY (Costume Designer) first collaborated with Steven Soderbergh on

“Traffic” and “The Limey.” Her work on “Traffic” brought her a Costume Designers Guild

nomination for Excellence in Costume Design for a Contemporary Film. She most recently

designed the costumes for Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Thirteen,” slated for a 2007 release.

Frogley’s designs for “Good Night, and Good Luck.,” directed by and starring George

Clooney, earned her a Costume Designers Guild Award nomination for Excellence in Costume

Design for a Period Film. For her work on Stephen Gaghan’s “Syriana,” in which Clooney also

starred, she received the Guild’s nomination for Excellence in a Contemporary Film.

Frogley previously collaborated with Gaghan on his feature film directorial debut,

“Abandon.” Her costumes were also seen in the romantic thriller “Skeleton Key” and the

supernatural thriller “Constantine.”

She began her career in London and Paris as a costume designer/set decorator for various

commercial companies, including RSA—a group of young directors, including brothers Ridley

and Tony Scott and Hugh Hudson.

Her first movie assignment was as assistant costume designer on Hugh Hudson’s

Academy Award-winning film “Chariots of Fire.” Since then, Frogley has designed costumes

for more than 20 features, including “Spy Game” and “Man on Fire” for director Tony Scott, as

well as “Stigmata,” “U.S. Marshals,” Ron Shelton’s “Bull Durham” and Neil Jordan’s “Mona

Lisa.”

Her work for television includes HBO’s “Live From Baghdad.”

THOMAS NEWMAN (Composer) has earned seven Oscar nominations for his film

work and, in 1994, received dual nominations for “Little Women” and “The Shawshank

Redemption.” He has also received Oscar nominations for his scores for “Unstrung Heroes,”

“Road to Perdition,” “Finding Nemo,” “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events,” and

“American Beauty,” for which he also won a BAFTA Award and a Grammy.

Newman’s first professional scoring assignment was on the 1984 film “Reckless,” for

which he was brought aboard as a musical assistant and was soon elevated to composer. Among

his extensive composing credits are scores for such diverse films as “The Salton Sea,” “White

Oleander,” “Cinderella Man,” “Erin Brockovich,” “Pay It Forward,” “In the Bedroom,” Meet Joe

Black,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “Red Corner,” “Oscar and Lucinda,” “Mad City,” “The People

Vs. Larry Flynt,” “Phenomenon,” “Up Close and Personal,” “How to Make an American Quilt,”

“Scent of a Woman,” “The Player,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “Deceived,” “The Rapture,” “The

Lost Boys” and “Desperately Seeking Susan.”

Most recently, he provided the music for the features “Jarhead” and “Little Children.”

For the small screen, Newman scored the award-winning HBO production of “Angels in

America.” His additional television credits include main title themes for “Boston Public” and

“Six Feet Under,” for which he won a 2002 Emmy Award. He also created scores for “Citizen

Cohn,” “Those Secrets,” “Heat Wave,” “The Seduction of Gina” and an episode of “Amazing

Stories.”

WARNER BROS. PICTURES Presents

In Association with VIRTUAL STUDIOS

A SECTION EIGHT Production

GEORGE CLOONEY

CATE BLANCHETT

TOBEY MAGUIRE

“THE GOOD GERMAN”

With

BEAU BRIDGES

TONY CURRAN

LELAND ORSER

JACK THOMPSON

ROBIN WEIGERT

And

RAVIL ISYANOV

CHRISTIAN OLIVER

DAVE POWER

DON PUGSLEY

DOMINIC COMPERATORE

Directed by

STEVEN SODERBERGH

Screenplay by

PAUL ATTANASIO

Produced by

BEN COSGROVE

GREGORY JACOBS

Executive Producers

BENJAMIN WAISBREN

FREDERIC W. BROST

Based on the novel by

JOSEPH KANON

Director of Photography

PETER ANDREWS

Production Designer

PHILIP MESSINA

Edited by

MARY ANN BERNARD

Music by

THOMAS NEWMAN

Costume Designer

LOUISE FROGLEY

Casting by

DEBRA ZANE, C.S.A.

Screenplay by......................................PAUL ATTANASIO

Produced by..........................................BEN COSGROVE

GREGORY JACOBS

Executive Producers.............................BENJAMIN WAISBREN

FREDERIC W. BROST

Based on the novel by................................JOSEPH KANON

Director of Photography.............................PETER ANDREWS

Production Designer................................PHILIP MESSINA

Edited by........................................MARY ANN BERNARD

Music by............................................THOMAS NEWMAN

Costumes Designer..................................LOUISE FROGLEY

Casting by.....................................DEBRA ZANE, C.S.A.

Unit Production Manager.........................FREDERIC W. BROST

First Assistant Director...........................GREGORY JACOBS

Second Assistant Director..........................TREY BATCHELOR

CAST

(In Order of Appearance)

Congressman Breimer.................................JACK THOMPSON

General...............................................JOHN ROEDER

Jake Geismer.......................................GEORGE CLOONEY

Tully...............................................TOBEY MAGUIRE

Lena Brandt........................................CATE BLANCHETT

Levi..........................................DOMINIC COMPERATORE

Lieutenant Schaeffer...................................DAVE POWER

Danny.................................................TONY CURRAN

General Sikorsky....................................RAVIL ISYANOV

British Press Aide................................J. PAUL BOEHMER

Russian Soldiers.....................................IGOR KOROSEC

BORIS KIEVSKY

VLADIMIR KULIKOV

YEVGENIY NAROVLYANSKIY

ALEKSANDR SOUNTSOV

Colonel Muller.......................................BEAU BRIDGES

German Boys............................................DEAN MISCH

JUSTIN MISCH

Gunther...............................................DON PUGSLEY

Bernie...............................................LELAND ORSER

Hannelore...........................................ROBIN WEIGERT

British Interviewer...................................TOM CUMMINS

Clerk..............................................BRANDON KEENER

The Butcher..............................GIANFRANCO L'AMORE TORDI

Franz Bettmann.......................................DAVID WILLIS

Emil Brandt......................................CHRISTIAN OLIVER

Stunt Coordinator...................................JOHN ROBOTHAM

Stunts................................................BRIAN AVERY

JONI AVERY

MATT BAKER

JEFFREY BROCKTON

JODI BROCKTON

HAL BURTON

CHAD CLEVEN

ELIZA COLEMAN

DAVID D. DARLING

JEREMY FITZGERALD

MICKEY GIACOMAZZI

SEAN GRAHAM

TABBY HANSON GRAHAM

JIM HART

GENE HARTLINE

JOHN MOIO

ERIC NORRIS

CARRICK O'QUINNVLADIMIR ORLOV

MICHAEL P. OWEN

JEFF RAMSEY

JASON RODRIGUEZ

BILL WILLENS

Art Director........................................DOUG MEERDINK

Set Decorator...................KRISTEN TOSCANO MESSINA, S.D.S.A.

Camera Operator.....................................CRIS LOMBARDI

A Camera First Assistant...........................STEVEN MEIZLER

A Camera Second Assistant..............................TOM JORDAN

Production Sound Mixer.......................PAUL LEDFORD, C.A.S.

Boom Operator.......................................RANDY JOHNSON

Production Supervisor..............................ROBIN Le CHANU

Production Accountant..............................SONYA LUNSFORD

Script Supervisor....................................ANNIE WELLES

Assistant Art Directors..............................EASTON SMITH

SUZAN WEXLER

Set Designers......................................C. SCOTT BAKER

W.M. LAW, III

Property Master...................................ROBIN L. MILLER

Assistant Property Master...................D. JAMES STUBBLEFIELD

Prop Assistants...................................TOMMY ALTOBELLOTRAVIS BOBBITT

MAUREEN McGUIRE

Production Archivist..................................JOANNA BUSH

Archivists.............................................KENN RABIN

ALEXANDER KANDAUROV

German Research Consultant..................YVONNE VON WALLENBERG

Military Consultant.................................MIR BAHMANYAR

Art Department Coordinator....................WYLIE YOUNG GRIFFIN

Leadman.............................................SCOTT BOBBITT

Buyer...........................................HELEN KOZORA-TELL

Set Dressers......................................RICHARD ANDRADE

RYAN P. DREYER

MERDYCE McCLARAN

ERIC RAMIREZ

ROBERT SICA

RYAN STEFFEN

On-Set Dresser......................................ERIK NORVILLE

Additional First Assistant Camera......................GLEN BROWN

Film Loader...........................................PAUL TOOMEY

Video Assistant Operator...........................LUCIANO BLOTTA

Utility Sound Technician................................ROSS LEVY

Chief Lighting Technician...........................JIM PLANNETTE

Assistant Chief Lighting Technician...........RAYMOND A. GONZALES

Lighting Technicians..................................JOSEPH AYERRUSSELL AYER

ERIK BERNSTEIN

NILES McELROY

ERIC SAGOT

Rigging Gaffer..............................R. MICHAEL De CHELLIS

Rigging Best Boy.....................................TED MARSHALL

Rigging Technicians...........................CHRISTOPHER BATEMANMICHAEL SEAMAN

RICHIE STANFORD

MARK JAMES WATSON

Key Grip..............................................AL La VERDE

Best Boy...............................................DANA BAKER

Dolly Grip.........................................PAUL THRELKELD

Company Grips.........................................RICK HARRISJONATHAN LEARY

RYAN VON LOSSBERG

JASON TALBERT

Rigging Key Grip.......................................KENT BAKER

Rigging Best Boy..................................STEVEN FROHARDT

Rigging Grip...........................................DAVE ELLIS

Second 2nd Assistant Director......................JODY SPILKOMAN

Additional Second Assistant Director..........BASTI VAN DER WOUDE

Set Production Assistants.........................DANIEL ADDELSON

CHRISSY GILMARTIN

FALLON JOHNSON

LYNNE MARTIN

BRYAN SNODGRASS

CINDY A. TAYLOR

DGA Trainee........................................JESSICA LOWREY

First Assistant Editor.............................DAVID KIRCHNER

Second Assistant Editor...............................MATT ABSHER

Special Effects Coordinator........................KEVIN HANNIGAN

Special Effects General Foreman...................WERNER HAHNLEIN

Special Effects Foreman.........................MICHAEL D. ROUNDY

Special Effects Technicians...........................BLAIR FOORDERICH MINGENBACH

VAUGHN WILLIAMS

Costume Supervisor....................................LYNDA FOOTE

Set Costumers........................................SHANDRA BERI

JASON M. MOORE

Costumers.............................................TOM CUMMINS

MONICA S. HAYNES

JAMES L. SPENSLEY

Key Costumers..............................GARET REILLY BATCHELORDENNIS McCARTHY

KENN SMILEY

Textile Artist.....................................MARY ETTA LANG

Make-Up Department Head..............................JULIE HEWETT

Key Make-Up Artist........................MICHELLE VITTONE-McNEIL

Make-Up for Ms. Blanchett.......................HEBA THORISDOTTIR

Additional Make-Up Artists................................ZOE HAYJULIE KRISTY

Hair Department Head................................WALDO SANCHEZ

Key Hair Stylists..............................FRIDA S. ARADOTTIRMARINA HART

Additional Hair Stylists..........................RITA BELLISSIMOARTURO ROJAS

Hair for Ms. Blanchett.............................EMANUEL MILLAR

Location Managers.......................................KEN LAVET

QUENTIN HALLIDAY

Key Assistant Location Manager.......................GUY MORRISON

Assistant Location Manager..........................JUSTIN DUNCAN

Production Coordinator.................................KATE KELLY

Assistant Production Coordinator..................MICHAEL LaCORTE

First Assistant Accountant...........................JASON HINKEL

Production Secretary................................BRIAN WORSLEY

Production Office Assistants.........................JOSH CARLOCK

JEN McGOWAN

Staff Assistants.....................................DAVID MOREAU

HEIDI ROLLER

RYAN PIERS WILLIAMS

MANUELA HAHNLEIN

KATE POWELL

Casting Associates.................................TANNIS VALLELY

JEREMY RICH

Extras Casting..........................................RICH KING

Unit Publicist.....................................SPOOKY STEVENS

Still Photographer.................MELINDA SUE GORDON, S.M.P.S.P.

Assistant to Mr. Cosgrove.............................ALI BLACKER

Assistant to Mr. Soderbergh................MONICA De ARMOND BORDE

Assistant to Ms. Blanchett..........................JEMMA KEARNEY

Assistant to Mr. Clooney..........................ANGEL McCONNELL

Assistants to Mr. Maguire.............................DARA GORDON

MELISSA ST. ONGE

Construction Coordinator.............................CHRIS SNYDER

General Foreman....................................WILLIAM GIDEON

Paint Supervisor....................................HANK GIARDINA

Location Foreman...................................GERARD FORREST

Lead Sculptor...........................................DAVID TYE

Head Welding Foreman....................................BUD KUCIA

Paint Foremen...........................................NEIL RUST

MIKE BOMAR

Head Plaster Foreman...............................ADAM L. BARKER

Plaster Foreman.......................................ERIC NELSON

Labor Foreman........................................SCOTT LODWIG

RICHARD SARABIA

Foreman/Toolman......................................JIM PANIAGUA

Head Model Maker..................................MICHAEL CARROLL

Greens Coordinator..................................STEVE BORGESE

Propmaker Foreman Purchaser............................JOHN MOORE

Propmaker Foremen...............................DENNIS RICHARDSON

DALE SNYDER

JAMES L. STEPHENSON

CURTIS YACKEL

Standby Painter...................................CHRIS ZIMMERMAN

Transportation Coordinator..........................JON CARPENTER

Transportation Captain.............................BERNARD GLAVIN

Transportation Dispatcher.....................DOREEN L. CARPENTER

Drivers................................................PAT CARMEN

DANNY COUGHLIN

DAVID GLAVIN

DIANE GLAVIN

WILLIAM GRACE

CHANCE ROBERTSON

PAUL E. TUMBER

GORDON WINKLE

Choreographers.......................................LAURA DUNLOP

LYNN GIVENS

Medic.............................................KERI LITTLEDEER

Catering......................................GOURMET ON LOCATION

Craft Service...........................................JEFF WINN

Supervising Sound Editor

Re-Recording Mixer

LARRY BLAKE

Dialogue Editor......................................KIMAREE LONG

Assistant Sound Editor..............................BILLY THERIOT

Post-Production Supervisor.................MONICA De ARMOND BORDE

Post-Production Assistant.....................RYAN PIERS WILLIAMS

Foley by.........................................ALICIA STEVENSON

DAWN FINTOR

Foley Mixer......................................DAVID BETANCOURT

Post-Production Sound Services.........SWELLTONE LABS/NEW ORLEANS

Titles by...........................................PACIFIC TITLE

Cutting Continuity....................................MASTERWORDS

Dailies Telecine....................TECHNICOLOR CREATIVE SERVICES

Digital Intermediate and

Opticals by...................TECHNICOLOR DIGITAL INTERMEDIATES

Dailies Colorist/Digital Film Colorist.................ED TWIFORD

Digital Intermediate Producer.....................GREGG SCHAUBLIN

Digital Conform and Opitcals.............................RON BARR

Visual Effects Supervisor

THOMAS J. SMITH

Visual Effects Producer

MELISSA BROCKMAN

Visual Effects Produced by

CIS HOLLYWOOD

Matte Painting Supervisor........................ROBERT STROMBERG

Compositing Supervisors...............................DAN LEVITANDAVID REY

Visual Effects Coordinator.....................HEATHER ELISA HILL

Digital Artists.......................................GREG OEHLERBILL GILMAN

TOM DAWS

CHRISTOPHER RYAN

MUSIC

Music Editor.......................................BILL BERNSTEIN

Assistant Music Editor.............................MICHAEL ZAINER

Music Scoring Mixers................................ARMIN STEINER

TOMMY VICARI

Assistant Engineers....................................GREG HAYESTIM LAUBER

Orchestration....................................THOMAS PASATIERI

Digital Audio...........................................LARRY MAH

Music Mixed at...............................SIGNET SOUND STUDIOS

"Somebody Else Is Taking My Place"

Written by Bob Ellsworth, Dick Howard and Russ MorganPerformed by William Marsh, Chris Ross, Johnny Britt andGary Stockdale

"You're Some Pretty Doll"

Written by Clarence WilliamsPerformed by William Marsh, Chris Ross, Johnny Britt andGary Stockdale

Russian archival footage, from the archives of the RGAKFD,

Krasnogorsk Archive

Additional archival material, CORBIS

Camera & Lenses by PANAVISION ®

Camera Cranes & Dollies byCHAPMAN/LEONARD STUDIO EQUIPMENT, INC.

Prints by TECHNICOLOR ®

KODAK Motion Picture Products

DOLBY Digital (logo) DTS Digital (logo) SDDS (logo)

Approved #42615 (emblem) (IATSE LABEL)

Motion Picture Association of America

This motion picture

© 2006 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Virtual Studios LLC

Screenplay

© 2006 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Original Score

© 2006 Warner-Barham Music, LLC

Section Eight (logo)

Virtual Studios (logo)

Warner Bros. Distribution Closing Shield Logo

Blood Diamond In English and Spanish

Set against the backdrop of the chaos and civil war that enveloped 1990s Sierra
Leone, “Blood Diamond” is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), an ex-
mercenary from Zimbabwe, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), a Mende fisherman.
Both men are African, but their histories and their circumstances are as different as any
can be until their fates become joined in a common quest to recover a rare pink
diamond, the kind of stone that can transform a life…or end it.

Solomon, who has been taken from his family and forced to work in the diamond
fields, finds the extraordinary gem and hides it at great risk, knowing if he is discovered,
he will be killed instantly. But he also knows the diamond could not only provide the
means to save his wife and daughters from a life as refugees but also help rescue his
son, Dia, from an even worse fate as a child soldier.

Archer, who has made his living trading diamonds for arms, learns of Solomon’s
hidden stone while in prison for smuggling. He knows a diamond like this is a once-in-alifetime find—valuable enough to be his ticket out of Africa and away from the cycle of
violence and corruption in which he has been a willing player.

Enter Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an idealistic American journalist who is
in Sierra Leone to uncover the truth behind conflict diamonds, exposing the complicity of
diamond industry leaders who have chosen profits over principles. Maddy seeks out
Archer as a source for her article, but soon finds it is he who needs her even more.

With Maddy’s help, Archer and Solomon embark on a dangerous trek through
rebel territory. Archer needs Solomon to find and recover the valuable pink diamond,
but Solomon seeks something far more precious…his son.

Directed by Edward Zwick, the action drama “Blood Diamond” stars Academy
Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Aviator”), Academy Award winner Jennifer
Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”) and Academy Award nominee Djimon Hounsou (“In
America”). The screenplay was written by Charles Leavitt, from a story by Leavitt and C.
Gaby Mitchell.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Virtual Studios, “Blood
Diamond,” a Spring Creek / Bedford Falls production, in association with Initial
Entertainment Group, released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment
Company. “Blood Diamond” is produced by Paula Weinstein, Edward Zwick, Marshall
Herskovitz, Graham King and Gillian Gorfil. The executive producers are Len Amato,
Kevin De La Noy and Benjamin Waisbren.

The film also stars Michael Sheen, Arnold Vosloo, David Harewood, Basil
Wallace and introduces Kagiso Kuypers as Dia.

Collaborating with Zwick behind the scenes were director of photography
Eduardo Serra, production designer Dan Weil, costume designer Ngila Dickson, and
editor Steven Rosenblum. James Newton Howard composed the score.

This film has been rated “R” by the MPAA for “strong violence and language”

“Blood Diamond” opens nationwide on December 8, 2006, and will be released
by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Set against the backdrop of the chaos and civil war that enveloped 1990s
Sierra Leone, “Blood Diamond” is the story of Danny Archer (Leonardo
DiCaprio), an ex-mercenary from Zimbabwe, and Solomon Vandy (Djimon
Hounsou), a Mende fisherman. Both men are African, but their histories and
their circumstances are as different as any can be until their fates become joined
in a common quest to recover a rare pink diamond, the kind of stone that can
transform a life…or end it.

Solomon, who has been taken from his family and forced to work in the
diamond fields, finds the extraordinary gem and hides it at great risk, knowing if
he is discovered, he will be killed instantly. But he also knows the diamond could
not only provide the means to save his wife and daughters from a life as refugees
but also help rescue his son, Dia, from an even worse fate as a child soldier.

Archer, who has made his living trading diamonds for arms, learns of
Solomon’s hidden stone while in prison for smuggling. He knows a diamond like
this is a once-in-a-lifetime find—valuable enough to be his ticket out of Africa and
away from the cycle of violence and corruption in which he has been a willing
player.

Enter Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), an idealistic American journalist
who is in Sierra Leone to uncover the truth behind conflict diamonds, exposing
the complicity of diamond industry leaders who have chosen profits over

1

principles. Maddy seeks out Archer as a source for her article, but soon finds it is
he who needs her even more.

With Maddy’s help, Archer and Solomon embark on a dangerous trek
through rebel territory. Archer needs Solomon to find and recover the valuable
pink diamond, but Solomon seeks something far more precious…his son.

Directed by Edward Zwick, the action drama “Blood Diamond” stars
Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Aviator”), Academy Award
winner Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”) and Academy Award nominee
Djimon Hounsou (“In America”). The screenplay was written by Charles Leavitt,
from a story by Leavitt and C. Gaby Mitchell.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Virtual Studios, “Blood
Diamond,” a Spring Creek / Bedford Falls production, in association with Initial
Entertainment Group, released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros.
Entertainment Company. “Blood Diamond” is produced by Paula Weinstein,
Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Graham King and Gillian Gorfil. The
executive producers are Len Amato, Kevin De La Noy and Benjamin Waisbren.

The film also stars Michael Sheen, Arnold Vosloo, David Harewood, Basil
Wallace and introduces Kagiso Kuypers as Dia.

Collaborating with Zwick behind the scenes were director of photography
Eduardo Serra, production designer Dan Weil, costume designer Ngila Dickson,
and editor Steven Rosenblum. James Newton Howard composed the score.

# # #

2

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

PRECIOUS JEWELS

“There is no reason why challenging themes
and engaging stories have to be mutually
exclusive—in fact, each can fuel the other.”

“To me, this movie is about what is valuable,” says director/producer
Edward Zwick. “To one person, it might be a stone; to someone else, a story in a
magazine; to another, it is a child. The juxtaposition of one man obsessed with
finding a valuable diamond with another man risking his life to find his son is the
beating heart of this film.”

“These two men set off on a journey, one with the intent of getting off the
continent, the other with the intent of getting his family back,” notes Leonardo
DiCaprio, who stars as Danny Archer. “But each character ends up struggling
with his own moral decisions.”

Djimon Hounsou, who stars as Solomon Vandy, sums it up: “Archer is
pursuing a diamond, but Solomon’s diamond is his son.”

The world sees diamonds as sparkling, beautiful and highly prized. They
are symbols of love and fidelity, affluence and glamour. But in the African
country of Sierra Leone, where many of the world’s diamonds are mined, they
have taken on a much darker connotation.

Zwick explains, “‘Conflict diamonds’ are stones that have been smuggled
out of countries at war. They then go to pay for more arms, increasing the death
toll and furthering the destruction of the region. They may be a small percentage
of the world’s sales, but, nonetheless, in an industry worth billions of dollars,

3

even a small percentage is worth many millions and can buy innumerable small
arms. In the late 1990s, people from such NGOs as Global Witness, Partnership
Africa-Canada and Amnesty International gave them a name in order to help
bring the crisis into the public consciousness:

“They called them ‘blood diamonds.’”

Zwick had only a passing knowledge of the term and its meaning when
producer Paula Weinstein first sent him the script. “I had heard the phrase, but I
didn’t fully understand its implications,” he offers. “The more I learned, the more
fascinated and horrified I became, and the more I realized this was a story that
needed to be told.”

Weinstein developed the screenplay with screenwriter Charles Leavitt and
executive producer Len Amato. Producer Gillian Gorfil had initiated the project
with C. Gaby Mitchell, who shares story credit with Leavitt. When they came on
board the project, Zwick and producer Marshall Herskovitz continued to develop
the story with Weinstein.

Weinstein recalls, “I had made an anti-apartheid movie called ‘A Dry White
Season’ many years ago and spent some time in South Africa. I knew about
conflict diamonds, so the idea of making a film that showed their effect on the
people of Africa was very significant to me.

“First of all,” she continues, “we had great writers, and then the moment
we got the script, I wanted to go to Ed Zwick. Ed and his partner, Marshall
Herskovitz, have demonstrated a sensibility that I share; they are interested in
stories about the real world, and they are committed to telling them truthfully.
knew they would not only embrace the material but be fearless in telling the
whole story. A project like this needed someone with a creative backbone in
order to get it made, and made right.”

4

Herskovitz has had an association with Zwick dating back almost 30
years. He acknowledges that the subject matter of “Blood Diamond” posed a
challenge to the filmmakers in balancing images that have the potential to, at
once, confront and entertain an audience but adds that there is ample
precedence for walking that tightrope. “It was hard for us to look at some of the
material about Sierra Leone and the truly horrendous circumstances there and
imagine them in a Hollywood film, but history has repeatedly shown us you can
do films that deal with difficult subject matters for a wide audience when there is
an important story to be told.”

Zwick agrees. “I don’t think movies can ever be too intense, but people
have to understand why you’re showing them the things you are showing them.
In the case of ‘Blood Diamond,’ there are brutal truths, but there is also great
beauty and emotion to be found in the lives of those caught up in those
situations.”

“What really impressed me about Ed,” Leonardo DiCaprio remarks, “was
that he wanted to make an entertaining adventure film, but mixed in were some
complex, highly charged political statements. That’s what really got me excited
about this film.”

“It has been my belief that political awareness can be raised as much by
entertainment as by rhetoric,” asserts Zwick. “There is no reason why
challenging themes and engaging stories have to be mutually exclusive—in fact,
each can fuel the other. As a filmmaker, I want to entertain people first and
foremost. If out of that comes a greater awareness and understanding of a time
or a circumstance, then the hope is that change can happen. Obviously, a single
piece of work can’t change the world, but what you try to do is add your voice to
the chorus.”

5

Working on the script, the filmmakers found that they themselves gained a
better awareness of the issues at hand. Zwick notes, “It seems that almost every
time a valuable natural resource is discovered in the world—whether it be
diamonds, rubber, gold, oil, whatever—often what results is a tragedy for the
country in which they are found. Making matters worse, the resulting riches from
these resources rarely benefit the people of the country from which they come.”

 Producer Gillian Gorfil, a native of South Africa herself, stresses that,
while shedding light on the issue of blood diamonds, this movie is not intended to
cast a shadow over the entire diamond industry. “It is important to me that this
film is not anti-diamond. The issue is blood diamonds, which have very specific
origins.”

Zwick also emphasizes that the story of “Blood Diamond” is not exclusive
to one corner of the globe. “There is something universal in the theme of a man
trying to save his family in the midst of the most terrible circumstances. It is not
limited to Sierra Leone. This story could apply to any number of places where
ordinary people have been caught up in political events beyond their control.
There are just so many innocent victims.”

As the filmmakers delved into the tragedy of blood diamonds, a more far-
reaching crisis began to resonate with them. “It’s a remarkable thing when a
movie tells you what it wants to be,” Zwick muses. “While working on this film,
the haunting theme of the child soldiers and the debasement of children took on
greater import. The exploitation of resources in the third world has inevitably
been linked with the exploitation of children. There was a phrase I wrote on the
outside cover of my script. It was the first thing I saw at the beginning of every
shooting day. It read: ‘The child is the jewel.’”

6

EYEWITNESS

“Sorious was a godsend… He was a friend,
a consultant, an authority. He was the soul
of the production.”

A self-described “perpetual student,” Zwick immersed himself in learning
all he could about the history and repercussions of conflict diamonds, child
soldiers and the revolution in Sierra Leone before exposing a single frame of film.
An internet search led to a connection with another filmmaker who would prove
invaluable to every facet of “Blood Diamond”: award-winning documentarian
Sorious Samura.

“I went online to look up a documentary I had heard about called ‘Cry
Freetown,’” Zwick recalls. “I put in a credit card order for it, and a week later a
letter arrived saying, ‘We couldn’t help but recognize the name on your card and
wondered if you were thinking of doing something about Sierra Leone. If so,
please feel free to call me.’ I couldn’t believe my good fortune. Sorious
Samura’s documentary about Sierra Leone is the single most authoritative record
of what happened there during the civil war. While many journalists were fleeing
the country and much of the world chose to ignore what was happening, here
was someone who stayed and actually filmed it.”

Samura reveals that his decision to film the atrocities unfolding around him
in 1999 was less an artistic decision than “a desperate cry in the dark for us to be
saved. I had seen the difference the media made in covering the war in Kosovo,
so I decided to take a camera and film what was happening in Sierra Leone. It
was very dangerous—they had already killed about nine local journalists—but I
thought if I could survive, then the world would see; if I could give the
international community a wake-up call, maybe they would take action.”

7

The result was “Cry Freetown,” which brought Samura worldwide
recognition and several prestigious awards, but he could not imagine that, years
later, it would bring him to the set of a major motion picture. He relates, “When I
learned that Ed Zwick was working on a feature film about Sierra Leone, I wanted
to make sure he got the details right. Even though it was going to be a drama
with fictional characters, it was important to convey a sense of what really went
wrong—when it happened, how it happened, and why. When I talked to Ed, I
could see he was as committed to getting it right as I was. I gained great respect
for him, and told him I wanted to be a part of the film.”

“Sorious was a godsend. He made himself available to me, and I took full
advantage of that,” Zwick says appreciatively. “You cannot put a value on having
someone who was actually there. He became much more than a technical
advisor. He didn’t just advise us on practical things like wardrobe and props. He
led us to people who understood the Mende language, Krio dialect, and so many
nuances of Sierra Leonean culture. He had spent time with child soldiers,
smugglers and mercenaries. He was indispensable to the actors, especially Leo
and Djimon. He was a friend, a consultant, an authority. He was the soul of the
production.”

THE ACTORS

“The story of three very different people with very
different agendas, whose lives intersect, was fuel
for a very moving and dramatic adventure.”

Like the filmmakers, the cast dedicated themselves to gaining as much
knowledge as they could about the time, the place and the circumstances
surrounding the story of “Blood Diamond” in preparation for their respective roles.

8

Leonardo DiCaprio, who worked extremely hard perfecting his accent to play the
part of ex-mercenary Danny Archer, affirms, “As soon as I read the script, I knew
there would be a tremendous amount of personal research involved and that was
one of the reasons I was immediately drawn to it. It was imperative for all of us
to immerse ourselves in this world and hear firsthand accounts of what
happened. For me, playing this man from what was Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe),
it was especially important to listen to the local people speak. This was an
environment unlike anything I’d experienced in my life.”

Jennifer Connelly, who stars as the driven journalist Maddy Bowen,
sought out reporters who could give her a better grasp of the life of a female war
correspondent. She notes, “I have a friend who, it so happens, had been in
Sierra Leone in 1999 writing a piece on conflict diamonds. I got a lot of
information and insight from her and from friends of hers. I became very
intrigued by these women who were always fiercely intelligent and
knowledgeable and often, I found, deeply feisty. I saw an apparent love of
adventure, matched by an unflinching commitment to their work. I think that
combination of attributes also applies to Maddy.”

Originally from the African country of Benin, Djimon Hounsou came to the
role of the Mende fisherman Solomon Vandy with perhaps a more innate
understanding of his character. “One of the most interesting things about this
film is that it shows what average men and women of that continent deal with on
a daily basis,” Hounsou comments. “Solomon is a simple fisherman who is
caught in the middle of the chaos of civil war. He is torn away from his family
and loses his son to the rebels. In many countries like my own or Sierra Leone,
a son represents so much. A son has the potential to be all the things his father
dreamed of being but never had the opportunity to become. It means everything
in his life to save that child.”

9

Zwick offers, “The story of three very different people with very different
agendas, whose lives intersect, was fuel for a very moving dramatic adventure.”

THE EX-MERCENARY

Zwick goes on to note that DiCaprio’s portrayal of Danny Archer, a soldier
turned soldier of fortune, fits squarely in the tradition of classic movie anti-heroes,
“where great actors have been willing to go to a very dark place in service of a
role. To see Leonardo DiCaprio take on that challenge was thrilling for me.”

 DiCaprio acknowledges that Archer’s principles have been corrupted by
the violence and greed that have plagued his homeland. “He has certainly
become jaded,” the actor attests. “He has a cynical view of the world; he looks at
the continent of Africa not as his home but as a place where people take
advantage of one another. There is no real right or wrong…it’s only about
survival.”

“Archer is cut off from feeling and has lost himself in the process,” Zwick
observes. “He has exhausted his options; he has seen things and done things
that he doesn’t want to admit even to himself, and now he just wants to get out.”

“That’s why the diamond doesn’t just represent money to him; it means his
freedom and escape from his past,” adds DiCaprio. “But as the story progresses
and he is confronted by Maddy’s idealism and Solomon’s courage, Archer begins
battling his own morality—what he’s done with his life and what he is doing now.”

“Leo was ferocious in his commitment to his role,” Zwick states. “He has
this uncanny ability to completely inhabit the character, a willingness to go all the
way. He hung out with ex-mercenaries, NGO workers and former soldiers and
spent hours just listening to people talk. He finally reached a point where he
could improvise even in the dialect. But what emanated from him was not just
the language; it was the essence of Danny Archer.”

10

“To me, Leo is one of the finest actors of our time,” Paula Weinstein
declares, “not just in the way he speaks his lines but in what he is able to express
without a single word. An emotion can simply cross his face and you know what
he is feeling. Every day on the set, he was professional and committed and
curious and present, and I was in constant awe of what he brought to his role.”

Gillian Gorfil adds that she was equally in awe of DiCaprio’s aptitude for
the regional dialect. “Leo took on the challenge of speaking in an authentic
southern African accent, which is extremely difficult to master. I think what he
achieved was astounding. There were times when, if I closed my eyes, I would
have mistaken him for one of the members of the local crew. He even started
saying ‘howzit’—the local slang for ‘hello, how are you?’—as a greeting.”

THE FISHERMAN

In contrast to Archer, Zwick contends, “Solomon Vandy is the moral center
of the film. He is like so many men who have endured the depredations of war.
His village is attacked, he loses his freedom, his family is taken, and he is forced
to go on this odyssey, but he never loses hope. Even in this foreign
environment, his situation is familiar to us…the love of a child, the compelling
strength of family. I felt the only fitting way to tell the story was through his
eyes—through his pain and anger and frustration and courage—because it’s
about his place, his country. As much as we may come to understand Archer’s
point of view, this is profoundly Solomon’s story.”

“I thought it was a beautiful story, an opportunity to deal with the difficult
issues of conflict diamonds, child soldiers and refugee camps,” says Djimon
Hounsou. “There were so many aspects of the film that appealed to me.
Certainly, as an African myself, I appreciated that the story is viewed through
Solomon’s eyes.”

11

While Hounsou has not lived in Africa for quite a few years, he has shown
it is never far from his heart in his support of organizations like Oxfam and
Amnesty International. He recently filmed a public service announcement on the
issue of illegal arms trafficking for the latter’s “Make Some Noise” campaign.

“There is always a way to make a difference,” the actor avows. “But do
we choose to make a difference, that’s the issue. My understanding is that if you
took even half of all the money that is essentially stolen from that continent, you
could address hunger, education, health problems…”

Gillian Gorfil recalls, “I could tell Djimon was very moved by his
experiences making this film. He is a child of Africa, so he could relate to
Solomon and his circumstances in a very personal way.”

“Djimon’s performance was just wonderful. The fact that he is from that
continent, that it is in his blood and in his bones, contributed so much to the role.
There is just no substitute for that,” asserts Zwick.

On the journey to recover the diamond, Solomon and Archer are
inexorably divided by lines of race and class that have existed for generations.
“They are both African men, but their histories are very dissimilar,” Zwick says.
“Yet they have a mutual connection to this continent as their home. In many
ways, it is a shared identity that supersedes their backgrounds. It is the common
ground on which they ultimately recognize each other’s humanity in an inhumane
situation.”

Nevertheless, Marshall Herskovitz counters, “There is an understandable
motivation for these two men to work together, but they have conflicting
objectives that keep them in opposition. This is not in any way a buddy movie:
Archer and Solomon have very different ways of looking at the world, and we did
not want to compromise on that.”

12

THE REPORTER

The character of Maddy Bowen brings an altogether different perspective
into focus. An American correspondent, Maddy is an outsider; she is in Africa
only to expose the real story behind conflict diamonds. On her own, she’s been
able to uncover compelling evidence of smuggling and subterfuge—including the
fact that for five years Sierra Leone had reported almost no diamond exports,
while its neighboring country of Liberia had exported a great number…without
any significant diamond mining to speak of. Nevertheless, Maddy is still in need
of the hard facts that will lock her story down. She seeks out Danny Archer as an
inside source for her article, never imagining that her contact with him will change
her from an observer to a participant, or that he will lead her to the human face of
her story: Solomon Vandy.

Jennifer Connelly offers, “Maddy wants to trace and expose the course of
blood diamonds from the source to the marketplace. Given Archer’s
involvement, she feels confident he has the information she needs. She realizes
he’s probably done some horrendous things in his time but also opines that no
one is entirely good or bad, and sometimes in a world this desperate, the lines
are blurred.”

“What I love about the character of Maddy is that she is cynical and
idealistic at the same time,” Herskovitz remarks. “She is motivated by a real
desire to make a difference in the world, but she is also an adrenaline junkie who
always has to be where the action is, and that’s part of her motivation for being in
Sierra Leone on the trail of an important story.”

Connelly came to her role in “Blood Diamond” having demonstrated her
own commitment to making a difference. In 2005, the actress was named
Amnesty International USA’s (AIUSA) Ambassador for Human Rights Education

13

and served as an AIUSA spokesperson for the United Nations’ screening of
“Innocent Voices,” a film about child soldiers in El Salvador.

Zwick adds that Connelly was the perfect choice for the role of a fearless
and ambitious reporter, saying, “Jenny is someone who exudes extraordinary
intelligence and empathy, and that is not as easy to convey as you might think.
She also did her homework. She met with women journalists, watching them and
assessing some of their habits and attitudes. It really informed her performance.”

Connelly was especially intrigued by a journalist’s constant struggle to
avoid crossing the fine line between reporting the story and becoming the story.
“A lot of the reporters I spoke to told me how hard it is to control the urge to
intervene, to do something to effect a more immediate change. It is difficult to be
in that kind of environment, surrounded by tragedy, and feel like you are in some
way benefiting from another person’s grief,” the actress notes, adding, “I think
that is the conflict Maddy faces, especially with regard to helping Solomon. She
knows he might not ever find his family without her, but would she have gotten
involved if it didn’t help her article?”

INFANTRY MEANS CHILD SOLDIER

“When you really look at what happens to a boy who is
forced to kill—that is the destruction of a human soul.”

Through Maddy’s connections, Solomon finds his family in a refugee
camp. It is there that he learns his 12-year-old son, Dia—a promising student
with dreams of becoming a doctor—has been taken by the rebels and forced to
become a child soldier. Dia is played by Kagiso Kuypers, a young actor
discovered at the National School of Art in Johannesburg, South Africa. Zwick
chose him over hundreds of other young hopefuls from townships all over the

14

region. “Many of these kids were just remarkable, but Kagiso stood out,” Zwick
says. “I really pushed him in his audition, and it impressed me that he
understood what is done to Dia and how he changes as a child and as a son.”

Zwick adds, “I have a teenage son, and the idea of one’s child being taken
and brainwashed by a group of vicious, cold-blooded killers is a horror beyond
imagining.”

Sadly, there are thousands of fathers and mothers in the world for whom
that horror has become all too real. Sorious Samura attests, “Child soldiers were
around long before the war in Sierra Leone, and it continues today because there
are people who realize how effective children can be against their enemies.
They mess with the minds of these children and teach them to do terrible things.”

“When you really look at what happens to a child who is forced to kill—that
is the destruction of a human soul,” declares Herskovitz. “It is an incalculable
crime against humanity.”

Gillian Gorfil agrees, stating, “Two of the most precious qualities children
have are their honesty and their innocence. When you take away a child’s
innocence, it can never be regained. That is unforgivable.”

“What do you rob these children of when you put a gun in their hands and
teach them to kill, and in the name of what?” Weinstein submits. “I admired the
fact that Ed was intent on portraying that part of the story honestly.”

Even as they unflinchingly depicted the indoctrination of the child soldiers,
the filmmakers took great care to protect not only the bodies but the hearts and
minds of the young actors in those scenes. “There were all sorts of rules and
guidelines as to what the children could and could not be exposed to,” Herskovitz
expounds. “It was all thought out with their protection in mind, so we were happy
to comply.”

15

Zwick also dealt with the children directly. “I spent a lot of time talking to
them about the scenes and explaining the history of child soldiers. It was
essential that they understood the implications of what they were doing, and
these kids got it.”

Perhaps the proof of how well the young actors “got it” can be found in the
words of Kagiso Kuypers, who, after filming “Blood Diamond,” said, “I have never
and I will never use a gun in a way that could hurt somebody.”

Samura is optimistic that the onscreen depiction of Dia’s cruel initiation will
help bring about a positive change in the real world. “Some people in Sierra
Leone cannot forgive the child soldiers, but maybe if they see it was not the
children’s fault, they will understand the need to forgive these kids.”

Two adult characters in the movie represent the horror and the hope of the
child soldiers. David Harewood portrays the merciless rebel soldier known as
Captain Poison, who is personally responsible for capturing and enslaving
Solomon Vandy and then victimizing his son, Dia. Harewood comments, “I think
you can sum up my character in one line that he says: ‘You think I am a devil, but
only because I have lived in hell. I want out.’”

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the character of Benjamin, a
dedicated teacher who runs a school for the youngest victims of the war,
including former child soldiers. It is a place where they can, in Benjamin’s words,
be brought “back to life.” Basil Wallace, who plays the part of Benjamin, offers,
“From his vantage point, although these children have been put through some
hellacious things, they are still our future. We have to love and nurture them,
because if we have a generation of children who know nothing but suffering and
inflicting pain, we have no future.”

16

AFRICA

“…having been there, I think I can say that all of
us were marked by it. We can’t help but look at
the world differently now.”

“Blood Diamond” was filmed almost entirely on location in Africa, which Ed
Zwick says was crucial, largely for reasons that were somewhat intangible.
“Africa is a place of great contrasts: everywhere you go, you are confronted by
images of breathtaking beauty and heartbreaking squalor, of deep spirituality and
severe deprivation. Everything is in your face, and it had an effect on all of us. It
would be hard to describe what that effect was…but suffice it to say, had we
filmed anywhere else, the film would not have that ineffable sense of place.”

The production also filmed in Sierra Leone, although, the director
acknowledges, “Equatorial West Africa just didn’t have the infrastructure to
accommodate all our needs for this size production. We needed other locations,
as well.”

After scouting the coast of southern Africa, an area near Port Edward,
South Africa, in the KwaZulu Natal province, proved the ideal site. The region’s
lush jungle landscape provided the backdrop for three major sets: the diamond
mine, the refugee camp and Benjamin’s school. To create the sets, production
designer Dan Weil did his own research but also had the added benefit of
Samura’s firsthand descriptions.

The weather, however, was less than cooperative. “This is the third time I
have gone to a location where I’ve been promised beautiful weather, and yet,
somehow, I manage to elicit the largest rainfalls ever recorded in modern
history,” Zwick laughs. “In fact, they had record-breaking rainfall in what was
already the rainy season. It meant we had to keep adapting to the

17

circumstances, and Eduardo and I were always reconceiving our shots to fit the
weather,” he adds, referring to cinematographer Eduardo Serra.

Paula Weinstein adds, “This is a very exciting, very alive continent”—with,
she reveals, the emphasis being on alive. “Every morning, the guys would come
to the set and start describing what kind of bug they’d seen in their room the
night before. Every day, it was like, ‘Okay, what was in your room last night?
Was it a lizard? Did you see that snake?’ You had to have a sense of humor
about it; you certainly couldn’t act like some spoiled Hollywood type. That was
definitely not going to go over well, but we had fun trying to top each other’s
stories.”

Apart from weather and wildlife concerns, the filmmakers were ever-
conscious that they were working in an environmentally sensitive area and were
determined that every location would be left in as good or, in some cases, better
condition. Executive producer Kevin De La Noy notes, “Before we came into the
valley, we had to have a full environmental-impact survey, and once we began
working, we had to stay within an environmental management plan. We had
officers of the provincial land management bureau on set with us every day to
ensure that any indigenous plants we had to move were moved in the correct
manner. Then those plants were maintained in a nursery to be replaced at the
end of our time there.” In addition to meticulously preserving the existing plant
life, the filmmakers also had the native plants and trees of Sierra Leone trucked
in to dress the location.

To accommodate the trucks, a system of roads had to be created where
there had been little more than footpaths before. The roads had to be wide
enough for large vehicles but designed to have the least impact on bordering
trees and shrubs. The road itself was constructed on a frame of thick wire mesh

18

so it could be easily pulled up at the conclusion of filming and the natural
vegetation could reclaim the path.

Zwick reports, “Kevin recently returned from a follow-up trip to Port
Edward and said that not only has the grass grown over the place where we
filmed, but other wildlife has come back in abundance, much to the delight of the
local rangers and environmentalists. The restoration of the area was very
important to us, and I’m proud to say we succeeded in that effort.”

From Port Edward, the company moved to the country of Mozambique,
where the city of Maputo doubled for Sierra Leone’s capital city, Freetown.
Filming the explosive fall of Freetown presented a range of logistical challenges
to the entire production team. The director points out that it took careful
coordination to achieve utter turmoil. He explains, “It had to appear chaotic, but
you cannot do that chaotically. It required extensive planning and focus. I can’t
remember how many times we walked those streets, discussing the exact
positioning of the cameras, the cast, the stunt people, the extras…”

Zwick also worked closely with special effects supervisor Neil Corbould to
choreograph the timing and placement of the explosions. He continues, “It’s a
very redundant, very intense process and you have to be patient and unrelenting.
And yet, you still have to leave room for the x-factor, the unexpected happening.”

A number of the locals were used as extras for the battle sequences. For
their wardrobe, costume designer Ngila Dickson, who had previously worked with
Zwick on “The Last Samurai,” sent for fabrics from Sierra Leone, which she says
are quite distinctive in their use of color and design. “They are bold and beautiful
with a lot of floral patterns. I found them to have an island feel. We also
shopped a lot of secondhand stores and brought back pieces that fit the time and
place of the story.”

19

The filmmakers were very mindful of the effect the battle scenes would
have on the residents of Maputo, some of whom had vivid memories of
Mozambique’s own civil war. To mitigate any unnecessary trauma, leaflets were
distributed and a media campaign was launched to notify the people that what
they would be hearing and seeing was entirely staged in service of a movie.

Ironically, it was the local extras who gave comfort to the visiting
filmmakers and cast between takes. Weinstein explains, “Sometimes after a
particularly difficult sequence, they would stand in the corner and sing together.
It contributed such a warm spirit to the set and made us feel happy to be there
and fortunate to be telling this story. Really, they were the most gracious hosts
and wonderful participants in the process.”

Nevertheless, the realism hit very close to home for some working on the
movie. Mende dialect coach Alfred Lavalie couldn’t bear to watch after the first
day, and Samura admits, “It brought back sad memories and, I must confess, it
made me realize how lucky I was to have survived. I went back to my hotel room
and cried and then called my kids to tell them I love them. I hope people
watching this movie can begin to understand the madness.”

On the outskirts of Maputo, the small fishing village of Costa du Sol was
turned into the village where the Vandy family’s peaceful life is shattered by the
sudden attack of brutal rebel soldiers.

Zwick reflects, “It’s hard to imagine these things are still going on in the
world. You want to sit back and relax in the comfortable life that we have in
America. But having been there, I think I can say that all of us were marked by it.
We can’t help but look at the world differently now.”

20

KINDNESS BEGINS ON LOCATION

“It is impossible to be in those places for any
length of time and not be moved, even knowing
that whatever we do won’t be enough.”

When filming in Mozambique came to a close, the company next traveled
to locations in London, India and Belgium, where the balance of scenes would be
shot. But before they left Africa, an idea began to take hold of the entire cast and
crew. Each of them had been touched by the warmth of the people they had met
there. At the same time, they had witnessed great deprivation and resolved to
make a difference.

During filming, Djimon Hounsou had taken time out to visit an SOS
Children’s Village near Maputo. (SOS Children is the world’s largest orphan and
abandoned children’s charity). Other members of the cast and crew, including
Leonardo DiCaprio, also enjoyed an opportunity to visit with some of the children
from the village, who had joined them on the set as extras.

As the crew broke down the sets, most of the props, construction
materials, costumes and even personal belongings were distributed to local
orphanages and hospitals. In addition, the construction team volunteered to
build desks and chairs for the orphanages and schools.

“It is impossible to be in those places for any length of time and not be
moved, even knowing that whatever we do won’t be enough,” Zwick maintains.
“Our unit production manager, Nick Laws, went out of his way to look into areas
where we’d been and learn what their specific needs might be.”

Weinstein affirms, “You can’t stand by when you find out that if you spend
a thousand dollars, the women won’t have to walk 40 minutes to get water. To
me, it went without saying that we had to do something.”

21

Every member of the cast, crew and filmmaking team pitched in money—
some beginning with a week’s per diem, others even more—to help the
communities that had welcomed them during the filming of “Blood Diamond.”
With these donations, the “Blood Diamond Charity Fund” was launched and is
still growing.

In addition, Zwick relates, “When I informed Warner Bros. of the Fund and
its goals, the studio agreed to match the total of our donations without hesitation.”

“Taking part in the Fund has been very rewarding for me personally,” says
Marshall Herskovitz. “I’ve been involved in projects where people talk about
getting involved, but nothing comes of it. In a way, we don’t think of this as
charity; it’s a way for us to express our gratitude and stay connected to the
people in Africa who were so gracious to us.”

The work of the Fund has just started, but its goals range from digging
wells to creating roads, from building schools to buying school supplies, from
delivering food to providing medical assistance, and much more.

“It’s a drop in the ocean compared to what needs to be done, but we did
what we could…and will continue to do what we can,” Zwick states.

EPILOGUE

It took years of dedicated and courageous work on the part of
eyewitnesses, journalists and organizations like Amnesty International,
Partnership Africa-Canada, Global Witness and Oxfam to call the world’s
attention to the crisis of blood diamonds. Growing awareness led to demand for
change in the diamond trade, resulting in The Kimberley Process Certification
Scheme (KPCS), which was established on November 5, 2002.

22

The Kimberley Process is a self-regulating agreement between the
nations that export diamonds and participating governments to implement
legislation “to monitor effectively the trade in rough diamonds in order to detect
and to prevent trade in ‘conflict diamonds.’” To support this, the international
diamond industry agreed to a voluntary system of warranties to ensure that
diamonds continue to be tracked right up to the point of sale.

From November 6 – 9, 2006, in Gaborone, Botswana, the Kimberley
Process undertook a formal three-year review to evaluate how effectively it is
working and to identify ways in which to further strengthen the Scheme. Decisive
action on this review is crucial to ensure that the KPCS evolves into an effective
certification system that brings about an end to diamonds fueling conflict.

The watchdog organizations do not deny that the Kimberley accords have
improved the situation. Nevertheless, Zwick proposes, “Even now, it’s a very
difficult circumstance to try to control. We are not telling people to stop buying
diamonds, but we need consumers to insist on seeing the warranty of the
diamonds they buy. The Kimberley Process came about because of heightened
public awareness. If this movie succeeds in increasing that awareness, it will
hopefully strengthen a process that needs to be greatly strengthened.”

THE FIFTH “C” FOR CONSUMERS

Diamond buyers are told to consider the “4 Cs” when selecting a diamond:
color, cut, clarity and carat weight. But there is one more “C” to ask about before
making a purchase. It stands for Conflict.

Amnesty International and Global Witness have a pamphlet to help
consumers ensure that diamonds never again fund conflict. When shopping for

23

diamond jewelry, they can ask the salesperson four questions to find out what
the retailer is doing to help prevent the trade in conflict diamonds:

• How can I be sure that none of your jewelry contains conflict diamonds?
• Do you know where the diamonds you sell come from?
• Can I see a copy of your company’s policy on conflict diamonds?
• Can you show me a written guarantee from your diamond suppliers stating
that your diamonds are conflict-free?
The salesperson should be only too pleased to help. If they aren’t, a
consumer can try somewhere else…and tell them why.

Tragically, the crime of children being seized and turned into child soldiers
continues unabated on a global scale, as demonstrated by a recent news story
out of Sri Lanka reporting that thousands of young boys are being taken from
their families in sweeps of entire neighborhoods.

At last report, there are an estimated 400,000 child soldiers in the world
today.

# # #

24

If you are interested in learning more about blood diamonds and/or child
soldiers, the filmmakers would like to recommend the following sources:

DOCUMENTARIES

“Cry Freetown” & "Return to Freetown" – directed by Sorious Samura
“War Photographer” – directed by Christian Frei
“Shadow Company” – directed by Nick Bicanic and Jason Bourque

NON-FICTION

“Blood Diamond” – Greg Campbell
“Blood from a Stone” – Douglas Farah
“Innocents Lost” – Jimmie Briggs
“Mukiwa” – Peter Godwin
“How de Body? One Man's Terrifying Journey

Through an African War” – Teun Voeten
"In the Land of Magical Soldiers"
A Story of White and Black in West Africa - Daniel Bergner
“The Devil that Danced on the Water:
A Daughter’s Quest” - Aminatta Forna

WEBSITES

AmnestyInternational.org
GlobalWitness.org
Partnership Africa-Canada (pacweb.org)

25

ABOUT THE CAST

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO (Danny Archer), a two-time Academy Award
nominee, earned his most recent Oscar nod for his portrayal of Howard Hughes
in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed 2004 biopic “The Aviator.” For his performance
in that film, DiCaprio also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama,
and received Critics’ Choice Award and BAFTA Award nominations. In addition,
he was honored with two Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award nominations, one for
Best Actor and another as part of the “The Aviator” cast, nominated for Best
Ensemble. In 2004, DiCaprio was also named the Actor of the Year at the
Hollywood Film Festival.

Born in Hollywood, California, DiCaprio started acting at the age of 14.
Following small parts on television, commercials and in films, he landed a regular
role on the hit sitcom “Growing Pains.” His breakthrough feature film role came
when director Michael Caton-Jones cast him in the coveted role of Tobias Wolff
in the screen adaptation of Wolff’s autobiographical drama, “This Boy’s Life,” in
which DiCaprio starred with Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin.

DiCaprio then starred with Johnny Depp in 1993’s “What’s Eating Gilbert
Grape,” garnering his first Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his
performance as a mentally handicapped young man. In addition, he won the
National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Los Angeles
Film Critics Association’s New Generation Award.

In 1995, DiCaprio had starring roles in three very diverse films, beginning
with Sam Raimi’s Western “The Quick and the Dead,” with Sharon Stone and
Gene Hackman. Continuing to challenge himself, DiCaprio received praise for
his performance as drug addict Jim Carroll in the harrowing drama “The

26

Basketball Diaries,” and then portrayed the disturbed pansexual poet Arthur
Rimbaud in Agnieszka Holland’s “Total Eclipse.”

The following year, DiCaprio starred in Baz Luhrmann’s contemporary
screen adaptation of “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet,” for which he won
the Best Actor Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. That same year,
he joined an all-star ensemble cast, including Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton and
Robert De Niro, in “Marvin’s Room,” sharing in a SAG Award nomination for Best
Ensemble Cast.

In 1997, DiCaprio starred in the blockbuster “Titanic,” for which he earned
a Golden Globe Award nomination. The film shattered every box office record on
its way to winning 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, and is still the top-grossing
film of all time. He subsequently played dual roles in “The Man in the Iron Mask,”
and then starred in “The Beach” and Woody Allen’s “Celebrity.”

DiCaprio gained his third Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of con
man Frank Abagnale in 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can,” directed by Steven
Spielberg. Also that year, he starred in the drama “Gangs of New York,” which
marked his first collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. DiCaprio most
recently starred in Scorsese’s “The Departed,” with Matt Damon and Jack
Nicholson.

JENNIFER CONNELLY (Maddy Bowen) won an Academy Award for her
performance in Ron Howard’s Oscar-winning Best Picture “A Beautiful Mind,”
opposite Russell Crowe. For her portrayal of John Nash’s loyal but longsuffering
wife, Alicia, Connelly was also honored with Golden Globe, BAFTA, American
Film Institute (AFI), and Critics’ Choice Awards, as well as a nomination for a
Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress.

27

Connelly more recently received a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for
her work in the drama “House of Sand and Fog,” in which she starred with Ben
Kingsley. She had previously earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination
for her unflinching portrait of a drug addict in Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a
Dream.”

Connelly is currently in production on the independent feature
“Reservation Road,” in which she stars with Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo.

Her additional film credits include starring roles in such diverse films as
the horror thriller “Dark Water”; Todd Field’s “Little Children”; Ang Lee’s actioner
“The Hulk,” opposite Eric Bana; the widely acclaimed biopic “Pollock,” directed by
and starring Ed Harris; Keith Gordon’s thriller “Waking the Dead,” opposite Billy
Crudup; Pat O’Connor’s “Inventing the Abbotts,” with an ensemble cast that also
included Crudup; Alex Proyas’ mystery thriller “Dark City”; Lee Tamahori’s
1950s-era crime drama “Mulholland Falls”; John Singleton’s controversial film
“Higher Learning”; the adventure film “The Rocketeer,” directed by Joe Johnston;
“Some Girls,” for director Michael Hoffman; Jim Henson’s fantasy adventure
“Labyrinth”; and Sergio Leone’s “Once Upon A Time in America,” which marked
her feature film debut.

DJIMON HOUNSOU (Solomon Vandy) was honored with an Academy
Award nomination and won an Independent Spirit Award for his portrayal of
Mateo, the loner whose life is changed by his friendship with two young girls, in
Jim Sheridan’s immigrant tale “In America.” He was also named the 2004
ShoWest Supporting Actor of the Year and shared in the Screen Actors Guild
(SAG) Award nomination for Outstanding Cast Performance received by the “In
America” cast.

28

Early in his film career, Hounsou earned a Golden Globe Award
nomination and won an Image Award for his performance as Cinque, the African
who leads an uprising to regain his freedom, in Steven Spielberg’s historical
drama “Amistad.” He later shared in a SAG Award nomination as a part of the
cast of Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning Best Picture “Gladiator.”

In 2005, Hounsou starred in three films: Michael Bay’s futuristic actioner
“The Island,” with Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson; the thriller
“Constantine,” starring Keanu Reeves; and the comedy “Beauty Shop,” joining an
ensemble cast led by Queen Latifah. His additional film credits include Jan de
Bont’s “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life,” starring Angelina Jolie;
Shekhar Kapur’s “The Four Feathers,” with Heath Ledger and Kate Hudson; and
“Deep Rising.”

On television, Hounsou had a memorable six-episode arc as an African
refugee seeking asylum on the drama series “ER,” and more recently had a
recurring role on the series “Alias,” starring Jennifer Garner.

Born in Benin, West Africa, Hounsou moved to Paris at the age of 13 to
get a better education. As an adult, he was discovered by fashion designer
Thierry Mugler, and then worked with legendary photographer Herb Ritts.
Hounsou was subsequently spotted by director David Fincher, who cast him in
several music videos. Small film roles followed before Hounsou landed his
breakthrough role in 1997’s “Amistad.”

In addition to his role in “Blood Diamond,” Hounsou also stars this
December in the fantasy adventure “Eragon.”

MICHAEL SHEEN (Simmons) is currently starring as Prime Minister Tony
Blair in Stephen Frears’ acclaimed drama “The Queen.” He had previously
portrayed Tony Blair, also under Frears’ direction, in the television movie “The

29

Deal.” “The Queen” marks Sheen’s third collaboration with Frears. He made his
feature film debut in the director’s “Mary Reilly,” playing Dr. Jekyll’s footman.
Sheen’s other feature film credits include Ridley Scott’s “Kingdom of Heaven,”
“Laws of Attraction,” Stephen Fry’s “Bright Young Things,” “Underworld,” Shekhar
Kapur’s “The Four Feathers” and “Wilde.”

Born in Wales, Sheen trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in
London, where, in his second year, he won the coveted Laurence Olivier Bursary
for consistently outstanding performances. While still a student at RADA, Sheen
landed a starring role opposite Vanessa Redgrave in 1991’s “When She
Danced,” which marked his West End debut.

Sheen has since earned Olivier Award nominations for his work in
“Amadeus,” “Look Back in Anger,” and “Caligula,” for which he also won a
London Critics Circle Award and the London Evening Standard Award. He has
also received acclaim for his performances in such plays as “Romeo and Juliet,”
“Peer Gynt” and “Henry V.” In 1999, Sheen made his Broadway debut, reprising
the title role in the revival of “Amadeus.” More recently, Sheen finished a sold-
out run in the London hit “Frost/Nixon,” in which he played David Frost to Frank
Langella’s Nixon.

ARNOLD VOSLOO (The Colonel), a native of South Africa, is best known
to moviegoers for his role as High Priest Imhotep in the action hits “The Mummy”
and “The Mummy Returns.” He will next be seen in the independent film “Living
& Dying.” His other film credits include “Agent Cody Banks,” “Endangered
Species,” “Zeus and Roxanne,” John Woo’s “Hard Target,” and Ridley Scott’s
“1492: Conquest of Paradise.” On television, Vosloo played the villainous Habib
Marwan in the fourth season of the hit series “24.”

30

In South Africa, Vosloo has been honored with two Dalro Awards for Best
Actor, the first for 1984’s “Boetie Gaan Border Toe,” which marked his feature
film debut, and the second for 1990’s “Circles in a Forest.” He received another
Best Actor nomination for his performance in the film version of “More Is ‘n Lang
Dag,” reprising a role he created on the stage.

Vosloo has also won awards for his stage work, including his
performances in “Don Juan” and “Torch Song Trilogy,” as well as “More Is ‘n
Lang Dag.” He has appeared in theaters all over the world, including New York’s
Circle in the Square, Chicago’s North Light Theatre and in London’s West End.

KAGISO KUYPERS (Dia) makes an auspicious feature film debut in
“Blood Diamond.”

The 14-year-old actor studied dance and drama at the National School of
Art in Johannesburg, South Africa. Now back in school, Kuypers hopes to further
his acting career, while also continuing to study dance.

DAVID HAREWOOD (Captain Poison) most recently appeared in
“Separate Lies,” written and directed by Julian Fellowes, and the 2004 screen
version of William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” starring Al Pacino
and Jeremy Irons.

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Harewood has been a
fixture on the London stage for many years, earning praise for his work in such
plays as “His Dark Materials,” under the direction of Nicholas Hytner, and “Henry
IV, Parts 1 and 2,” both presented at the National Theatre. He also played the
title role in the Royal National Theatre’s production of “Othello,” which later went
to Broadway.

31

On British television, Harewood was a regular on the series “Fat Friends”
and “Babyfather,” and had a recurring role on “The Vice.” He has also guest
starred on a number of series.

Harewood is currently directing a children’s theatre group in London,
aimed at involving underprivileged and at-risk youth in the performing arts.

BASIL WALLACE (Benjamin) was most recently seen in the family
comedy “Like Mike.” His film credits also include John Dahl’s “Joy Ride”; “The
Wood,” with Omar Epps and Taye Diggs; Lawrence Kasdan’s “Grand Canyon”;
and three films for director Dwight H. Little, “Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home,”
“Rapid Fire” and “Marked for Death.” He made his feature film debut in Robert
Townsend’s 1987 comedy “Eddie Murphy Raw,” playing Eddie’s father in a
sketch.

On the small screen, Wallace appeared in the telefilm “Children of the
Dust,” starring Sidney Poitier. He has also had guest roles on numerous series,
including “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Strong Medicine,” “The Agency,”
“The West Wing,” “Judging Amy,” “ER,” “The Practice” and “NYPD Blue.”

A native of Jamaica, Wallace has performed in repertory theatre and is
also a lifetime member of New York’s La MaMa E.T.C. (Experimental Theatre
Club).

NTARE MWINE (M’ed), a first-generation American born of Ugandan
parents, makes his major feature film debut in “Blood Diamond.” Classically
trained, Mwine received his Masters in Fine Arts in acting from New York
University and also studied at The Moscow Arts Theatre in Russia, The Royal
National Theatre in London, and The University of Virginia. His first professional
acting job was the role of Paul in the 1992 national tour of “Six Degrees of

32

Separation,” for which he earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best
Actor. He has since appeared on the stages of The Steppenwolf Theatre, The
Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and ACT, among others.

On television, Mwine has guest starred on such series as “Heroes,” “The
Unit,” “Sleeper Cell,” “ER,” “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” “Alias” and “Law &
Order.” He also appeared in the HBO movie “Don King: Only in America.”

Apart from his acting, Mwine has had success as a playwright,
photographer and documentarian. His first play, “Biro,” premiered at Uganda’s
National Theatre and was subsequently presented at The Joseph Papp Public
Theatre in New York, as well as in Los Angeles, Seattle, London, and throughout
Africa. Mwine’s photographic work has been displayed at the United Nations, the
UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History, and other museums worldwide. His
inaugural documentary, “Beware of Time,” screened at the Pan African Film
Festival in Los Angeles and the Black International Cinema in Berlin, where it
was named the Best Film on Matters Relating to Marginalized People.

# # #

33

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

EDWARD ZWICK (Director/Producer) is an award-winning director,
producer and screenwriter, who has worked on a wide range of acclaimed film
and television projects. As a motion picture producer, he won an Academy
Award and a BAFTA Award for his work on the Best Picture Oscar winner
“Shakespeare in Love,” and earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination for Steven
Soderbergh’s ensemble drama “Traffic.”

Zwick has also been recognized for his work as a director. He earned a
Golden Globe nomination for Best Director for only his second film, the 1989 Civil
War drama “Glory,” for which Denzel Washington won his first Oscar, for Best
Supporting Actor. Zwick was also Golden Globe-nominated for his directing work
on “Legends of the Fall,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt, which Zwick
also produced. He went on to direct “Courage Under Fire,” starring Denzel
Washington and Meg Ryan, and directed, wrote and produced “The Siege,”
which marked his third collaboration with Washington.

Zwick most recently directed, co-wrote and produced the historical epic
“The Last Samurai,” starring Tom Cruise and Ken Watanabe, for which he won
the National Board of Review Award for Best Director. His earlier film directing
credits include “Leaving Normal” and “About Last Night….” He also produced “I
Am Sam,” starring Sean Penn, which won the Producers Guild’s Stanley Kramer
Award for films that shed light on social issues.

Hailing from Winnetka, Illinois, Zwick trained as an apprentice at the
Academy Festival in Lake Forest. He later attended Harvard University, where
he studied literature while continuing to write and direct for the theatre. Upon
graduation, he was awarded a Rockefeller Fellowship to study in Europe.

34

In 1975, Zwick was accepted as a Directing Fellow at the American Film
Institute (AFI). His AFI short film, “Timothy and the Angel,” won first place in the
student film competition at the 1976 Chicago Film Festival, which led to him
becoming a story editor on the acclaimed drama series “Family.” He then
became a producer on the series, also writing and directing several episodes. In
1980, Zwick received his first Emmy nomination, for his producing work on
“Family.”

Three years later, Zwick directed, produced and co-wrote the telefilm
“Special Bulletin,” for which he won two Emmy Awards, for Best Drama Special
and Best Screenplay, and earned another nomination for Best Director. In
addition, “Special Bulletin” brought Zwick a Directors Guild of America Award, a
Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award and a Humanitas Prize. The project also
marked the beginning of his ongoing collaboration with Marshall Herskovitz,
whom he had first met at the AFI, and with whom he formed The Bedford Falls
Company.

The first project created under the Bedford Falls banner was the television
series “thirtysomething,” which won an Emmy for Best Drama Series in 1988,
and garnered three more consecutive Emmy nominations in the same category.
Zwick also earned Emmy and WGA Award nominations for his writing on the
series. His additional television credits include such widely praised series as “My
So-Called Life,” “Relativity,” and “Once and Again,” for which Zwick won his
second Humanitas Prize.

Zwick’s other career honors include two Peabody Awards, and the
Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni Award from the AFI.

MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ (Producer) is an Oscar-nominated producer
for his work on Steven Soderbergh’s “Traffic,” which won four Academy Awards

35

in addition to being nominated for Best Picture. His distinguished career also
encompasses work as a director, writer and producer for both films and
television.

Herskovitz most recently co-wrote and produced the Edward Zwickdirected
epic “The Last Samurai,” starring Tom Cruise. His other film producing
credits include “I Am Sam,” starring Sean Penn, for which he shared in the
Producers Guild’s Stanley Kramer Award, given to films that shed light on social
issues; “Dangerous Beauty,” which he also directed; and Zwick’s “Legends of the
Fall,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt. Herskovitz had earlier made his
feature film directorial debut on the drama “Jack the Bear,” starring Danny
DeVito.

Born in Philadelphia, Herskovitz attended Brandeis University and then
studied at the American Film Institute (AFI), where he first met Zwick in 1975. He
started his career writing and directing for several television series, including
“Family” and “The White Shadow.” He first collaborated with Zwick when they
co-wrote and produced the 1983 television movie “Special Bulletin,” which Zwick
directed. For his work on that telefilm, Herskovitz won Emmy Awards for
Outstanding Drama Special and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or
Special, as well as a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award and a Humanitas
Prize.

In 1985, Herskovitz and Zwick partnered to form The Bedford Falls
Company, whose first project was the groundbreaking television series
“thirtysomething.” During its four-season run on ABC, the series brought
Herskovitz a number of honors, including two Emmy Awards, for Drama Series
and Writing for a Drama Series; two Directors Guild of America Awards; a WGA
Award; a Humanitas Prize; and a Peabody Award.

36

Following that success, Herskovitz and Zwick teamed to produce three
acclaimed television series under the Bedford Falls banner: “My So-Called Life,”
which launched the career of Claire Danes; “Relativity”; and “Once and Again,”
for which Herskovitz won his third Humanitas Prize.

An active environmentalist, Herskovitz has served on the board of several
organizations committed to preserving America’s precious natural resources. He
was recently elected President of the Producers Guild of America.

PAULA WEINSTEIN (Producer) is a prolific producer, whose career
encompasses both film and television projects. Overseeing Spring Creek
productions, Weinstein most recently produced the upcoming comedy/drama
“The Astronaut Farmer,” starring Billy Bob Thornton.

Raised in Europe, Weinstein began her career as an assistant film editor
in New York City. She then joined the office of Mayor John Lindsay as the
Special Events Director. Moving to Los Angeles in 1973, Weinstein signed on as
a talent agent, first for what would later be ICM and then at William Morris.

In 1976, Weinstein became Vice President of Production at Warner Bros.
She later moved to Twentieth Century Fox, where she held the post of Senior
Vice President of Worldwide Production. During her tenure, she worked on such
films as the hit comedy “Nine to Five,” starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly
Parton; and the prison drama “Brubaker,” starring Robert Redford.

In 1979, Weinstein joined the Ladd Company, where she collaborated on
such films as Lawrence Kasdan’s directorial debut, “Body Heat.” Two years
later, Weinstein was named President of the Motion Picture Division of United
Artists, where she oversaw such diverse hits as “WarGames” and “Yentl,” to
name only a few.

37

In 1984, Weinstein and Gareth Wigan partnered to form WW Productions.
In 1997, she assumed the title of Executive Consultant for MGM’s Worldwide
Division, while continuing to produce such independent film projects as “A Dry
White Season” and “The Fabulous Baker Boys.”

Weinstein and Mark Rosenberg formed Spring Creek Productions in 1990.
Their first feature was Peter Weir’s “Fearless,” starring Jeff Bridges and Rosie
Perez, who received an Oscar nomination for her performance. Weinstein
subsequently served as a producer on the films “Flesh and Bone”; Lasse
Hallström’s “Something to Talk About”; Wolfgang Petersen’s “The Perfect Storm,”
starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg; the comedy smash “Analyze This,”
which paired Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal; and Barry Levinson’s “Liberty
Heights” and “Bandits.” Weinstein’s more recent film credits include “Monster-In-
Law,” starring Jane Fonda and Jennifer Lopez; and “Rumor Has It,” with Jennifer
Aniston and Shirley MacLaine.

Under the Spring Creek banner, Weinstein has also produced several
award-winning projects for the small screen, including HBO’s “Iron Jawed
Angels,” starring Hilary Swank; “Truman,” starring Gary Sinise, for which
Weinstein won an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie; and “Citizen Cohn,”
starring James Woods, which won four Emmy Awards.

GRAHAM KING (Producer) is President and CEO of Initial Entertainment
Group, one of Hollywood’s leading independent film companies, which acquires,
produces or co-produces films for the worldwide market. King, who founded
Initial in 1995, has emerged as a formidable producer of both major motion
pictures and independent features.

King most recently produced the crime drama “The Departed,” which
marked his third collaboration with director Martin Scorsese. In 2004, he

38

produced Scorsese’s widely praised Howard Hughes biopic, “The Aviator,”
starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which earned 10 Academy Award nominations,
including Best Picture, and won a BAFTA Award for Best Picture. King was
honored by the Producers Guild of America with a Golden Laurel Award for
Producer of the Year. He had earlier been a co-executive producer on
Scorsese’s epic drama “Gangs of New York,” starring DiCaprio, Daniel Day-
Lewis and Cameron Diaz.

Under the Initial Entertainment banner, King has also served as an
executive producer on such films as “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys,”
produced by and starring Jodie Foster; Michael Mann’s biographical drama “Ali,”
starring Will Smith in the title role; and Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning
ensemble drama “Traffic.”

A native of the United Kingdom, King moved to the United States in 1982
to join the international distribution department at Twentieth Century Fox.
Several years later, he formed Initial Entertainment Group, which now fosters
projects with some of the industry’s leading creative talents, including Johnny
Depp and his company, Infinitum Nihil.

Recently, Initial Entertainment Group signed a first-look producing deal
with Warner Bros. Pictures, where he will produce “Shantaram,” together with
Infinitum Nihil. Among the many other projects presently in various stages of
production and development are “Next,” starring Nicolas Cage, “Benighted,” and
“Prince of Thieves.”

GILLIAN GORFIL (Producer) will next produce the feature film “Brilliant,”
which she also co-wrote with her sister, Elizabeth Shorten. The film is scheduled
to begin production early next year, with Scarlett Johansson starring.

39

She made her producing debut on the 1993 comedy “Father Hood,”
starring Patrick Swayze and Halle Berry, directed by Darrell Roodt. She then
produced Roodt’s 1997 drama “Dangerous Ground,” starring Ice Cube, Elizabeth
Hurley and Vingh Rhames. She was also the initial producer on the project that
became “Blood Diamond.”

Born in Johannesburg, she was an international model, clothing store
owner and property developer before segueing to the film business. She studied
film and media at Pretoria Tecknikon.

CHARLES LEAVITT (Screenplay/Story) wrote the screenplay for the 2001
fantasy drama “K-Pax,” directed by Iain Softley and starring Kevin Spacey and
Jeff Bridges. He had earlier written the screenplay for Peter Chelsom’s drama
“The Mighty.”

Leavitt currently has several films in development at different studios,
including “The Express,” the story of Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, to be
directed by Gary Fleder and produced by John Davis; and the adaptation of “The
Ha Ha,” for director/producer Akiva Goldsman. In addition, Leavitt adapted
Nathaniel Philbrick’s bestselling non-fiction book In the Heart of the Sea, the true
story upon which Moby Dick was based. He most recently inked a deal to write
“Confessions of a Wall Street Shoeshine Boy,” which Donald De Line and Paula
Weinstein will produce.

LEN AMATO (Executive Producer) is President of Spring Creek
Productions, where he continues a longstanding relationship with Paula
Weinstein. Under the Spring Creek banner, he recently produced the upcoming
“The Astronaut Farmer,” starring Billy Bob Thornton.

40

Amato began his career as a story analyst for various independent
producers and studios. He went on to become a story editor for Robert De Niro’s
then-newly formed Tribeca Productions, working with co-founder Jane Rosenthal
on Michael Apted’s “Thunderheart” and Irwin Winkler’s “Night and the City.”

Amato began his association with Spring Creek Productions in the mid1990s
as Vice President of Development, running the company’s New York office
for co-founders Mark Rosenberg and Paula Weinstein. In 1997, he made his
producing debut with HBO’s “First Time Felon,” directed by Charles Dutton. The
following year, he moved to Los Angeles to serve as Executive Vice President of
Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures, when Weinstein partnered with Barry Levinson
to create the company.

In 1999, Amato served as co-producer on the hit comedy “Analyze This,”
directed by Harold Ramis and starring Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal, and, in
2002, he executive produced its sequel, “Analyze That.” He then executive
produced Neil LaBute’s “Possession,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron
Eckhart, and produced “Deliver Us from Eva.” Amato more recently served as an
executive producer on the award-winning HBO drama “Iron Jawed Angels,”
starring Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston, and the romantic comedy feature
“Rumor Has It…,” directed by Rob Reiner and starring Jennifer Aniston, Shirley
MacLaine, Kevin Costner and Mark Ruffalo.

KEVIN DE LA NOY (Executive Producer) previously collaborated with
director Edward Zwick as the unit production manager on “The Last Samurai.”
His credits as a producer include Richard Donner’s sci-fi thriller “Timeline,” which
he co-produced, and Steven Spielberg’s award-winning World War II drama
“Saving Private Ryan,” on which he served as the associate producer.

41

“Blood Diamond” marks his fourth film to be shot on location in Africa. He
was a production supervisor on John Avildson’s “The Power of One,” filmed in
Zimbabwe, and returned to South Africa as the supervising location manager on
“The Ghost and the Darkness.” He more recently served as the unit production
manager on “Ali,” which was shot in Mozambique and Ghana.

De La Noy has also been the unit production manager on such films as
“Braveheart,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Mission: Impossible II” and “Titanic.”
Additionally, he has worked as a location manager and assistant director on a
wide range of features.

BENJAMIN WAISBREN (Executive Producer) most recently served as an
executive producer on Steven Soderbergh’s dramatic thriller “The Good
German,” based on the Joseph Kanon novel of the same name, and starring
George Clooney and Cate Blanchett. His latest credits also include the political
thriller “V for Vendetta,” and the action adventure “Poseidon.”

Waisbren is a financier involved in the production and distribution of
motion pictures, both in the U.S and in Europe. His background includes law,
investment banking and private equity investing.

His upcoming executive producer credits include “300,” “The
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “First Born,”
“Gardener of Eden,” “Nancy Drew” and “Duane Hopwood.”

EDUARDO SERRA (Director of Photography) is a two-time Academy
Award nominee for his work on “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and “The Wings of the
Dove.” In addition, he earned BAFTA Award nominations for both films, winning
the award for the latter. For his cinematography on “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” he

42

was also honored by a number of critics groups, including the Los Angeles Film
Critics Association, and won several international film awards.

Born in Portugal, Serra has worked extensively on both sides of the
Atlantic, including 40 films in France, which is his adopted home. He received a
César Award nomination for his work on “Le Mari de la coiffeuse,” one of five
collaborations with Patrice Leconte. He has also lensed five films for director
Claude Chabrol, most recently including “L’ivresse du pouvoir.”

His other film credits include “Beyond the Sea,” directed by and starring
Kevin Spacey; M. Night Shyamalan’s “Unbreakable”; “What Dreams May Come,”
starring Robin Williams; Michael Winterbottom’s “Jude”; and “Map of the Human
Heart,” to name only a few.

DAN WEIL (Production Designer) most recently served as the production
designer on Stephen Gaghan’s acclaimed drama “Syriana,” for which Weil
earned his second Art Directors Guild Award nomination from his peers. His first
nomination had been for his work on Doug Liman’s “The Bourne Identity.”

A native of France, Weil was honored with a César Award for his
production design on the Luc Besson film “The Fifth Element,” and also received
a César Award nomination for Besson’s “La Femme Nikita.” His collaborations
with Besson also include the films “The Big Blue,” “The Professional” and “The
Dancer.”

Weil’s other credits include “King Arthur,” “The Libertine,” “Beautiful
Mother,” “Total Eclipse,” “Les Truffes,” “Hors la vie” and “Tristesse et beauté.”

STEVEN ROSENBLUM (Editor) has had a long association with director
Edward Zwick, dating back to the television series “thirtysomething,” for which
Rosenblum won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing for a Series. Their first

43

feature film collaboration was the Civil War drama “Glory,” which brought
Rosenblum his first Academy Award nomination for Best Editing. Rosenblum
earned his second Oscar nomination for his work on the Academy Award-
winning Best Picture “Braveheart,” directed by and starring Mel Gibson.

Rosenblum has also edited the Zwick-directed features “Legends of the
Fall,” “Courage Under Fire,” “The Siege” and “The Last Samurai.” In addition, he
worked on Marshall Herskovitz’s directorial debut feature, “Jack the Bear.”

His collaborations with other directors include Tom Dey’s “Failure to
Launch,” Lee Tamahori’s “xXx 2: The Next Level,” Shekhar Kapur’s “The Four
Feathers,” Michael Bay’s “Pearl Harbor” and Bryan Singer’s “X-Men.”

NGILA DICKSON (Costume Designer) won an Academy Award in 2004
for her work on Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
She earned dual nominations that year, also being honored for her costume
designs for Edward Zwick’s “The Last Samurai.” Dickson had previously gained
her first Oscar nomination and a BAFTA nomination for Best Costume Design for
“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” In addition, she won a
BAFTA Award for her work on “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” and
won a Costume Designers Guild Award and received her third BAFTA Award
nomination for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

Hailing from New Zealand, Dickson first worked with director Peter
Jackson on his directorial debut feature, “Heavenly Creatures.” Her early credits
also include the 1989 television project “The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy,” about
the sinking of a Greenpeace ship, and the feature film version of the same story,
“The Rainbow Warrior.” Dickson also designed the costumes for the
internationally successful television series “Xena: Warrior Princess,” for which
she received a New Zealand Film and TV Award for Best Contribution to Design.

44

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD (Composer) is a six-time Academy Award
nominee and one of the industry’s most prolific composers, with more than 100
motion picture and television scores to his credit. His latest Oscar nomination
came for his score for M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village.” Howard has scored
all of Shyamalan’s films, beginning with the director’s hit debut film, “The Sixth
Sense,” and subsequently including “Unbreakable,” “Signs” and, most recently,
“Lady in the Water.”

Howard was also Oscar-nominated for his scores for “My Best Friend’s
Wedding,” “The Fugitive” and “The Prince of Tides.” He gained two more Oscar
nods for Best Original Song for “Look What Love Has Done,” from the movie
“Junior,” and “For the First Time,” in “One Fine Day.” He also garnered Golden
Globe Award nominations for both songs. Howard received his third Golden
Globe nomination for his score for Peter Jackson’s hit remake of “King Kong.”

Howard’s long list of film credits also includes “RV,” “Freedomland,”
“Batman Begins,” “The Interpreter,” “Collateral,” “Hidalgo,” “America’s
Sweethearts,” “Runaway Bride,” “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,”
“Primal Fear,” “Outbreak,” “Wyatt Earp,” “Dave,” “Falling Down,” “Grand Canyon,”
“My Girl,” “Pretty Woman” and “Major League,” to name only a portion.

Also honored for his work on television, Howard won an Emmy Award for
Outstanding Main Title Theme for the series “Gideon’s Crossing,” and earned an
Emmy nomination in the same category for “ER.”

SORIOUS SAMURA (Technical Consultant), a native of Sierra Leone,
filmed what is considered to be the definitive documentary on his country’s 1999
civil war, “Cry Freetown.” For his work on the film, Samura won The Rory Peck
Award and The Mohamed Amin Award, becoming the first person ever to win

45

both honors. He was also among the winners of the 1999 CNN African Journalist
of the Year Award. In 2002, he followed with “Return to Freetown,” in which he
journeys back to his war-torn homeland and attempts to reunite former child
soldiers with their families.

Samura is known for his first-person reportorial style, in which he subjects
himself to the same hardships and perils his subjects endure. His other
documentaries include “Exodus from Africa,” “Living with Hunger,” “Living with
AIDS,” “Living with Refugees,” “Guinea: Sex for Food,” “21st-Century War” and
“Living with Illegals.”

Along with his filmmaking partner, Ron McCullagh, Samura is a director of
Insight News TV. Samura’s films have won many prestigious awards, including
a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, two One World Media Awards, three
Amnesty International Media Awards, a Columbia-DuPont Award, a Peabody
Award, the Prix Europa, the Japan Prize, the Harry Chapin Media Award, three
Overseas Press Club of America Awards, a Golden Nymph at the Monte Carlo
Television Festival, and a Bronze World Medal at the New York Festivals.
Columbia University’s graduate school of journalism also honored Samura with a
lifetime achievement award at its annual “Let's Do It Better” workshop on race
relations.

# # #

46

“Blood Diamond” es la historia de Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio), un
ex – mercenario de Zimbabwe, y Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), un
pescador Mende. Ambos hombres son africanos pero sus historias y
circunstancias son completamente diferentes. Sus destinos se encuentran de
pronto unidos, por una búsqueda en común para recuperar un extraño diamante
rosa, una piedra preciosa que puede cambiar una vida… o terminarla.

Todo sucede durante el caos de la guerra civil que se desató en Sierra
Leona en 1990.

Solomon fue arrebatado de su familia y forzado a trabajar en los campos
de diamantes. Un día encuentra una piedra preciosa extraordinaria y la esconde,
sabiendo que el riesgo de ser descubierto es que lo maten instantáneamente.
Pero él también sabe que el diamante no sólo puede proveer los medios para
salvar a su esposa e hijas de una vida como refugiados, sino también ayudar a
rescatar a su hijo Dia, de un destino todavía peor como niño- soldado.

Archer se gana la vida intercambiando diamantes por armas. El se entera
de la existencia del diamante escondido por Solomon, cuando está encerrado en
la cárcel por contrabando. Archer sabe bien que un diamante semejante sólo se
encuentra una vez en la vida, y que su valor podría permitir a Solomon salir del
Africa y alejarse del círculo de violencia y corrupción en el cual está involucrado.

Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly), es una periodista norteamericana que
está en Sierra Leona para revelar la verdad sobre el comercio de diamantes, y

poner al descubierto la complicidad de los líderes de esta industria. Ellos son
gente sin principios, y lo único que les interesa, es el dinero.

Maddy busca a Archer como fuente de información para escribir su
artículo. Sin embargo, se da cuenta que Archer la necesita a ella más que ella lo
necesita a él.

Con la ayuda de Maddy, Archer y Solomon emprenden una peligrosa
travesía a través del territorio rebelde. Archer necesita que Solomon busque y
recupere el valioso diamante rosado. Pero Solomon busca algo mucho más
preciado para él… a su hijo.

La película de drama y acción “Blood Diamond” está dirigida por Edgard
Zwick. Los protagonistas son Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Aviator”), nominado para
premio de la Academia, Jennifer Connelly (“A Beautiful Mind”) ganadora del
premio de la Academia y por Djimon Hounsou (“In America”) nominado para el
premio de la Academia.

El guión fue escrito por Charles Leavitt, basado en una historia de Leavitt
y C. Gaby Mitchell.

Warner Bros. Pictures, en asociación con Virtual Studios, presenta “Blood
Diamond”, una producción de Spring Creek / Bedford Falls en asociación con
Initial Entertainment Group, y distribuida por Warner Bros. Pictures, una
compañía Warner Bros. Entertainment. “Blood Diamond” fue producida por
Paula Weinstein, Edward Zwick, Marshall Herskovitz, Graham King y Gillian
Gorfil. Los productores ejecutivos fueron Len Amato, Kevin De La Noy y
Benjamin Waisbren.

En la película también son protagonistas Michael Sheen, Arnold Vosloo,
David Harewood, Basil Wallace y presenta a Kagiso Kuypers en el papel de Dia.

Colaborando con Zwick, tras las cámaras, estuvieron: Eduardo Serra
como director de fotografía, Dan Weil en el diseño de producción, Ngila Dickson
en el vestuario, y Steven Rosenblum en el montaje. La música original fue
compuesta por James Newton Howard.

# # #

SOBRE LA PRODUCCIÓN

JOYAS PRECIOSAS

“No hay una buena razón por la cual los temas
provocativos y los cuentos atrayentes se excluyan
mutuamente. De hecho, se pueden inspirar el uno al otro”.

Edward Zwick, el director y productor de la película dice: -“Para mi, este
film trata de lo que es valioso. Para unos, puede ser una piedra preciosa, para
otros tal vez sea una historia en una revista y para otros aún, tal vez sea un niño.
Lo atractivo de esta historia, es la yuxtaposición de un hombre obsesionado con
encontrar un valioso diamante, y otro hombre que arriesga su vida para
encontrar a su hijo.

“Estos dos hombres emprenden un viaje, en el cual uno intenta salir del
país, y el otro intenta recobrar su familia”- dice Leonardo DiCaprio, quien
personifica a Danny Archer -“pero luego, cada personaje va a terminar
debatiéndose con sus propias decisiones morales”.

Djimon Hounsou, quien da vida a Solomon Vandy, lo resume así:-“Archer
va en busca de un diamante pero para Solomon, el diamante es su hijo”.

Los diamantes son vistos en el mundo, como una piedra brillante,
hermosa y muy preciada. Son símbolos de amor y fidelidad, de riqueza y
encanto. Pero en el país africano de Sierra Leona, donde están la mayoría de
las minas de diamantes, esas piedras tienen un significado más oscuro.

Edward Zwick explica: -“Los ‘diamantes conflictivos’ son piedras que
fueron contrabandeadas hacia otros países en tiempos de guerra. Con esos
diamantes se pagan armas con las que se generan más muertes y la
destrucción de la región. Aunque la venta de esos diamantes representa sólo un
pequeño porcentaje de las ventas mundiales, en una industria que genera miles
de millones de dólares, cualquier pequeño porcentaje significa muchos millones
de dólares. Con ellos se puede comprar una cantidad innumerable de armas
pequeñas. A fines de la década de 1990, gente de entidades no

gubernamentales como Global Witness, Partnership Africa-Canada y Amnesty
Internacional, crearon un nombre para identificar específicamente a estos
diamantes y llamar la atención del público con respecto al tema”.

“Los llamaron ‘diamantes de sangre’”

Cuando la productora Paula Weinstein le envió el guión a Zwick, él sólo
había escuchado ese nombre al vuelo alguna vez. -“Yo había escuchado decir
‘diamantes de sangre’, pero en realidad no tenía profundo conocimiento de lo
que ese nombre representaba”- explica Zwick -“Cuanto me enteré, y según iba
adquiriendo más conocimiento sobre el tema, más me fascinaba y me
horrorizaba al mismo tiempo. Entonces comprendí que esta historia debía ser
contada”.

Weinstein había creado el guión junto con el guionista Charles Leavitt y el
productor ejecutivo Len Amato. La productora Gillian Gorfil había dado inicio al
proyecto junto con C. Gaby Mitchell, quien comparte el crédito de la historia junto
con Leavitt. Al comenzar a ser parte del proyecto, Zwick y el productor Marshall
Herskovitz, continuaron desarrollando la historia junto con Paula Weinstein.

Weinstein recuerda: -“Hace muchos años atrás yo hice una película
contra el apartheid llamada ‘A Dry White Season’. Entonces pasé un tiempo en
Sudáfrica. Yo conocía el tema de los diamantes conflictivos. Por eso, hacer una
película que mostrase su efecto tenía mucho significado para mí”.

La productora continúa diciendo: -“Para empezar teníamos muy buenos
escritores, y cuando recibimos el guión, Ed Zwick me pareció la persona
indicada. Ed y su socio Marshall Herskovitz han demostrado tener una
sensibilidad que yo comparto. A ellos les interesan las historias del mundo real y
es su propósito contarlas sinceramente. Yo sabía que no sólo les iba a encantar
el material, sino que no tendrían miedo para contar la historia verdadera. Un
proyecto como éste necesitaba de alguien que tuviera coraje y creatividad para
hacerlo bien.

Herskovitz ha estado asociado con Zwick ya por casi 30 años. El
reconoce que el tema central de “Blood Diamond” fue un desafío para los
cineastas. -“No fue fácil seleccionar las imágenes – muchas de ellas horrorosas

que el público pudiera mirar sin alienarse, y que a la vez fueran entretenidas”.
Sin embargo Herskovitz y Zwick ya tienen experiencia para caminar por la
cuerda floja”.

-“Fue muy difícil para nosotros ver algunos de los materiales sobre Sierra
Leona y sus circunstancias verdaderamente horrendas, e imaginarlas en una
película de Hollywood. Pero la historia nos ha demostrado repetidamente que,
uno puede hacer películas sobre temas difíciles para grandes audiencias, si
tiene una historia importante que contar”- declara Herskovitz.

Zwick concuerda y dice: -“Yo pienso que las películas nunca llegan a ser
lo suficientemente intensas, pero el público tiene que entender porqué uno les
muestra lo que les muestra. En el caso de “Blood Diamond” hay verdades
brutales, pero también hay gran belleza y emoción en la vida de aquellos que
están atrapados en esas situaciones”.

-“Lo que realmente me impresiona de Ed” - comenta Leonardo DiCaprio“
es que él quería hacer una película de aventuras y entretenimiento, pero que
estuviera a la vez mezclada con denuncias políticas complejas y pesadas. Eso
fue lo que realmente me entusiasmó de esta película”.

-“Siempre he creído que uno bien puede crear conciencia política por
medio de la retórica, como por medio del entretenimiento”- afirma Zwick –“No
hay razón valedera por la cual los temas desafiantes y las historias entretenidas
se excluyan mutuamente. De hecho, muy bien una puede estimular a la otra.
Como cineasta, primera y principalmente quiero entretener al público. Si con ello
se puede hacer una denuncia y hacer que el público entienda un tiempo o una
circunstancia, entonces hay esperanzas de que las cosas cambien para mejor.
Obviamente, un solo trabajo no puede cambiar el mundo, pero lo que uno intenta
es de agregar su voz al coro”.

Mientras que trabajaban en el guión, los directores adquirieron un mayor
conocimiento del tema. Zwick dice: -“Pareciera que casi todas las veces que se
descubre un importante recurso natural en el mundo - ya sean diamantes,
caucho, oro, petróleo, o lo que fuera – el resultado es una tragedia para el país
en donde se descubre. Para peor, las riquezas que provienen de esos recursos,

raramente benefician a la gente originaria del país de donde se sacan esos
recursos”.

La productora Gillian Gorfil, nativa de Sudáfrica, enfatiza que si bien esta
película intenta verter luz sobre el tema de los diamantes de sangre, no es la
intención oscurecer toda la industria de los diamantes. –“Para mí es importante
que esta película no sea considerada anti-industria de los diamantes. El
problema son los diamantes de sangre, y ellos tienen orígenes muy específicos”.

Zwick, por su lado enfatiza que:- “La historia de los diamantes de sangre
no es exclusiva de ninguna parte del mundo. Hay algo universal en el tema de
un hombre tratando de salvar a su familia en medio de las más terribles
circunstancias. Esto no esta limitado a Sierra Leona. Esta historia puede pasar
en cualquier lugar donde gente común está atrapada en medio de eventos
políticos fuera de su control. Simplemente son muchas víctimas inocentes”.

A medida que los cineastas iban profundizando en la tragedia de los
diamantes de sangre, comenzaron a darse cuenta de una crisis de mucho más
alcance.

-“Cuando una película te dice lo que quiere ser, es realmente algo
extraordinario”- dice Zwick pensativo –“Al trabajar en en “Blood Diamond”, el
tema frecuente de los niños soldados y su degradación tomó gran importancia.
La explotación de los recursos en el tercer mundo está inevitablemente unida a
la explotación de niños. Yo escribí una frase en la tapa del libro del guión. Era la
primera cosa que veía al comienzo de la filmación cada día. Decía: “El niño es la
joya”.

TESTIGOS

“Sorious era un don del cielo… Era un amigo, un
asesor, una autoridad. Era el alma de la producción”.

Zwick se auto-describe como un “eterno estudiante”. El se sumergió en la
investigación de la historia y repercusiones de los diamantes conflictivos, de los
niños soldados y de la revolución en Sierra Leona antes de filmar siquiera un

cuadro de la película. Una búsqueda en el Internet llevó a la conexión con otro
cineasta cuya ayuda resultó ser invaluable en cada faceta de “Blood Diamond”:
Ese hombre era el premiado documentalista Sorious Samura.

-“Me fui al Internet para buscar un documental que había escuchado
mencionar. Su título era “Cry Freetown” -recuerda Zwick - -“Lo ordené y pagué
con una tarjeta de crédito y una semana después recibí una carta que decía:
‘Reconocí su nombre en la tarjeta de crédito y me pregunté si estaba pensando
en hacer algo acerca de Sierra Leona. Si es así, por favor llámeme’. Yo no podía
creer mi buena suerte. El documental de Sorious Samura sobre Sierra Leona es
el documento más autoritario sobre lo que pasó allí durante la guerra civil.
Mientras que muchos periodistas huían del país y la mayor parte del mundo
elegía ignorar lo que estaba pasando, hubo alguien que se quedó y filmó todo”.

Samura revela que la decisión de filmar las atrocidades ocurridas a su
alrededor en 1999, no fue una decisión artística. –“Fue más bien un grito
desesperado para que nos salven. Yo había visto la diferencia que había logrado
la cobertura de la prensa durante la guerra de Kosovo. Entonces decidí tomar
una cámara y filmar lo que estaba pasando en Sierra Leona. Era muy peligroso,
pues ya habían asesinado unos nueve periodistas locales, pero yo pensé que si
lograba sobrevivir, entonces el mundo podría verlo. Pensé que si yo podía hacer
un llamado de atención a la comunidad internacional, quizá ellos podrían
ayudarnos”.

El resultado fue “Cry Freetown” el cual otorgó a Samura reconocimiento
mundial y muchos premios prestigiosos. Pero ni en sus sueños más ambiciosos
Samura imaginó que, años más tarde el documental lo llevaría a los escenarios
de una película de una gran productora de cine. Samura relata: -“Cuando yo me
enteré que Ed Zwick estaba trabajando en una película acerca de Sierra Leona,
yo quería asegurarme de que él tuviera todos los detalles correctos. Aún si iba a
ser un drama con personajes ficticios, era importante transmitir un sentido de lo
que realmente había estado mal: cuándo paso, cómo paso y porqué pasó.
Cuando hable con Ed, me dí cuenta que él estaba decidido a hacerlo bien, tal

como lo había estado yo antes. Comencé a sentir gran respeto por él y le dije
que quería ser parte de esta película”.

-“Sorious fue un regalo del cielo. Siempre estaba disponible para mí, y yo
me aproveché completamente de eso”- dice Zwick con aprecio -“El poder
trabajar con alguien que verdaderamente estuvo allí, fue invaluable. El se
convirtió en mucho más que un asesor técnico. No solamente nos asesoraba en
cosas prácticas como el vestuario y los escenarios, sino que nos llevó a conocer
gente que entendía el lenguaje Mende, el dialecto Krio y muchos otros aspectos
de la cultura de Sierra Leona. El había pasado mucho tiempo con niños
soldados, contrabandistas y mercenarios. Sorious fue indispensable para los
actores, especialmente para Leo y Djimon. El era un amigo, un consultor y una
autoridad. Era el alma de producción”.

LOS ACTORES

“El combustible para una historia de aventuras y drama, que sea muy
emotiva y dramática, son las historias de tres personas completamente distintas,
con profesiones diferentes, cuyas vidas se cruzan”.

Al igual que los realizadores, para prepararse para sus distintos papeles,
los artistas debieron informarse en todo lo posible sobre el tiempo, los lugares y
las circunstancias que rodeaban la historia de “Blood Diamond”. Leonardo
DiCaprio, trabajó duramente para perfeccionar el acento de su personaje, el exmercenario
Danny Archer. El actor comenta: -“Al leer el guión por primera vez,
me dí cuenta que necesitaría una cantidad tremenda de investigación personal
para desarrollarlo. Esa fue una de las cosas que me atrajo para aceptar hacerlo.
Para todos nosotros, era imperativo sumergirnos en este mundo y escuchar por
nosotros mismos lo que allí había pasado. Mi personaje en especial provenía de
lo que era Rhodesia (ahora Zimbabwe). Por eso era especialmente importante
que escuchara hablar a la gente originaria de allí. Este era un entorno
absolutamente distinto de cualquier cosa que hubiera experimentado antes en
mi vida”.

Jennifer Connelly, interpreta a la activa periodista Maddy Bowen. La actriz
buscó reporteros que le pudieran dar información sobre cómo era la vida de una
reportera de guerra. Ella comenta: -“Dio la casualidad que yo tengo una amiga
que estuvo en Sierra Leona en 1999, escribiendo sobre el conflicto de los
diamantes. Ella me dio mucha información y sus puntos de vista y el de algunos
de sus amigas sobre el tema. Me atrajo mucho lo que hacían allí estas mujeres,
profundamente inteligentes, cultas y llenas de energía. Me dio la impresión que
tenían pasión por la aventura y una valiente devoción por su trabajo. Creo que
son esos los atributos que también tenía Maddy.

Djimon Hounsou es nativo del país africano Benin, y es quien interperta el
papel del pescador Mende, Solomon Vandy. El conocimiento innato de su
personaje es un punto a su favor. -“Una de las cosas más interesante de esta
película, es que muestra las cosas con las que tienen que lidiar diariamente los
hombres y mujeres comunes de este continente”. – comenta Hounsou -
“Solomon es un simple pescador local, atrapado en el caos de una guerra civil.
Lo apartan de su familia, y los rebeldes se llevan a su hijo. En muchos países,
como el mío o como Sierra Leona, un hijo representa mucho. Representa el
potencial de llegar a ser todo lo que su padre soñó ser, pero no pudo, porque
nunca tuvo la oportunidad. Un padre da todo en su vida, por salvar a ese hijo”.

Zwick por su lado, comenta: -“La historia de estas tres personas tan
diferentes, con profesiones completamente diferentes, se cruza, y eso es el
combustible para una aventura emotiva y dramática”.

EL EX - MERCENARIO

Zwick hace notar que el retrato de Danny Archer de DiCaprio, un soldado
que se vuelve soldado con suerte, cabe perfectamente en la tradición de los
clásicos anti-héroes de las películas. –“Este era uno de esos papeles por los que
los grandes artistas se prestan a ir a lugares oscuros del planeta, con tal de

poder interpretarlo. Ver a Leonardo DiCaprio aceptar el desafío fue muy
emocionante para mí”.

DiCaprio reconoce que los principios de Archer se corrompieron por la
violencia y la ambición que infectaban su país. –“Pero ahora se hartó”- dice el
actor –“él tiene una visión cínica del mundo. Cuando mira a Africa, no la vé como
su país, sino como un lugar en que la gente se aprovecha uno del otro. No existe
un verdadero bien, o mal… todo se trata de sobrevivir”.

-“Archer no tiene sentimientos, y se ha perdido a sí mismo en el proceso
de llegar a ese punto”- comenta Zwick –“Todas sus opciones están agotadas. El
vio cosas e hizo cosas que ni él mismo puede aceptar. Ahora, lo único que
quiere, es poder salir de todo eso”.

-Esta es la razón por la cual el diamante no representa tan sólo dinero
para él. Significa libertad, y poder escaparse de su pasado”- agrega DiCaprio –
“Según la historia va progresando, Archer debe enfrentarse al idealismo de
Maddy y a la valentía de Solomon. Entonces comienza su lucha contra su propia
moral, una revisión sobre lo que ha hecho en el pasado, y lo que está haciendo
ahora”.

-“Leo estaba ferozmente dedicado a su papel”- detalla Zwick – “él tiene la
rara habilidad de meterse completamente dentro de su personaje, y la voluntad
férrea de ir hasta el final. El se juntó con ex mercenarios, con trabajadores de
entidades no gubernamentales, y con ex – combatientes. Pasó horas
escuchando a esa gente, hasta llegar al punto de poder improvisar inclusive
hablando en dialecto. Pero lo que emanó de él, no fue simplemente un idioma,
fue la esencia de Danny Archer”.

-“Yo pienso que Leo es uno de los mejores actores de nuestro tiempo”-
dice Paula Weinstein -“no solo por la manera en que recita sus líneas, sino
porque puede expresarse sin decir una sola palabra. Una emoción le cruza la
cara, y uno sabe qué está sintiendo. Cada día de filmación, él se comportaba
profesionalmente, con dedicación, con interés, y con su misma presencia.
Constantemente me sorprendía lo que él podía transmitir a través de su
personaje”.

Gillian Gorfil agrega que ella también se quedaba pasmada al escuchar la
facilidad con la que DiCaprio podía hablar en el dialecto regional. -“Leo tomó
seriamente el desafío de hablar con auténtico acento sudafricano, lo cual no es
fácil de lograr. Creo que lo que hizo fue extraordinario. Había momentos en los
que si yo cerraba mis ojos, bien podía confundirlo con uno de los miembros del
equipo local de producción. El hasta decía ‘howzit’, en la jerga local de decir
‘hello, how are you? (hola, ¿cómo estás?)’, al saludar”.

EL PESCADOR

Zwick comenta: -“Todo lo contrario de Archer, Solomon Vandy es el
centro de moral de la película. El es como tantos otros hombres que padecieron
los desastres de la guerra. Su villa es atacada, él pierde su libertad, se llevan a
su familia, y lo fuerzan a ir en esta odisea. Sin embargo él nunca pierde la
esperanza. Inclusive en este entorno extraño, su situación nos es familiar … el
amor por un niño, y la situación desesperada de una familia”.

-“A mí me pareció que la única manera correcta de contar la historia, era
a través de sus ojos, a través de su dolor y de su enojo, de su frustración y de su
valentía. Porque esta historia sucede en su territorio, en su país, y si bien
podremos llegar a entender muy bien el punto de vista de Archer, esto es
profundamente la historia de Solomon”.

-“Pienso que esta es una hermosa historia, y la oportunidad de poder
hacer notar las cuestiones difíciles del conflicto de los diamantes, de los niños
soldados, y de los campamentos de refugiados”- dice Djimon Hounsou –“Son
muchos los aspectos de la película que me atraen. Como africano, sin duda
aprecio mucho que la historia se cuente a través de los ojos de Solomon”.

Aunque Hounsou no ha vivido en Africa desde hace ya algunos años, su
corazón nunca se alejó demasiado de su país, y trata de ayudar a
organizaciones como Oxfam y Amnistía Internacional. Recientemente Hounsou

filmó un anuncio para la campaña “Make Some Noise” sobre el tráfico ilegal de
armas, que se pasó por el canal público.

-“Siempre hay una forma de cambiar las cosas”- reconoce el actor – “pero
¿acaso elegimos tratar de cambiarlas? Esa es la cuestión. Si yo entiendo bien, si
solamente pudiera obtener la mitad del dinero que se roba esencialmente de ese
continente, podrían solucionarse los problemas de hambre, educación y
salud…”.

Gillian Gorfil recuerda:-“Yo me daba cuenta que a Djimon le afectaban las
experiencias que se dan en la película. El proviene de Africa, y puede
relacionarse muy bien con Solomon y sus circunstancias, de manera muy
personal”.

-“La actuación de Djimon fue simplemente maravillosa. Pienso que el
hecho de que esta es una historia sobre su país, llega a su sangre y a sus
huesos, y eso contribuyó mucho a crear su personaje. No hay nada que pueda
reemplazar eso” -asegura Zwick.

Durante el viaje para encontrar el diamante, Solomon y Archer
inexorablemente están separados por líneas de raza y clase, que existieron por
generaciones. -“Ambos son hombres africanos, pero sus historias son muy
diferentes”- dice Zwick - “La fuerte conexión entre ellos es el continente en
donde ambos nacieron. De alguna manera esa identidad común se impone
sobre la diferencia social. Ellos pueden reconocer las situaciones humanas e
inhumanas basándose en lo que tienen en común”.

No obstante, Marshall Herskovitz dice: -“Existen razones fáciles de
entender para la motivación que tienen estos dos hombres para trabajar juntos.
Sin embargo sus metas son muy diferentes, y hacen que estén en contra
mutuamente. De ninguna manera esta es una película sobre amigos. Archer y
Solomon tienen distintas perspectivas de la vida, pero no quisimos abarcar ese
aspecto”.

LA REPORTERA

El personaje Maddy Bowen brinda una perspectiva completamente
distinta de la de Solomon y Archer. Ella es una corresponsal norteamericana,
una extranjera que está en Africa para denunciar la verdad tras el conflicto de
diamantes. Sus investigaciones ya la habían llevado a destapar evidencia
irrefutable del contrabando de diamantes y las mentiras para encubrirlo. Entre
ello, había revelado el hecho de que durante cinco años Sierra Leona casi no
había reportado exportación de diamantes, mientras que el país vecino, Liberia,
había exportado una gran cantidad…y eso sin tener minas para explotarlos.
Maddy ahora necesita más información y confirmar hechos para reafirmar su
historia. Por eso busca la ayuda de Danny Archer como alguien que estuvo
dentro de todo ello. Lo que ella nunca imaginó es que al encontrarlo su vida iba
a cambiar de observadora a participante, y que él la llevaría a conocer la cara
humana de su artículo: Solomon Vandy.

Jennifer Connelly comenta: -“Maddy quiere rastrear y denunciar la ruta
que siguen los diamantes, desde su fuente hasta el lugar donde se venden.
Como Archer está involucrado ne eso, ella está segura que va a encontrar la
información que necesita. Ella se imagine que él hizo unas cuantas cosas
horribles en su vida, pero también piensa que no hay nadie libre de todo pecado.
Además, en un mundo tan desesperado, los límites se vuelven borrosos.

-“Lo que me encanta del personaje Maddy, es que ella es cínica e
idealista a la vez”- dice Herskovitz- “Su motor, es el verdadero deseo de hacer
algo por cambiar el mundo. Por otro lado, a ella le excita la aventura, y siempre
se metió en donde estaba la acción. Esa es la razón por la que ahora se
encuentra en Sierra Leona investigando una importante historia”.

Connelly, al igual que su personaje en “Blood Diamond”, en la vida real
está verdaderamente interesada por mejorar el mundo en lo posible. En el año
2005, fue nombrada Embajadora de Amnistía Internacional USA (AIUSA) para la
Educación sobre Derechos Humanos. Ella fue también la representante de

AIUSA cuando la película “Innocent Voices” – sobre los niños soldados de El
Salvador- se mostró en las Naciones Unidas.

Para Zwick, Connelly era la actriz perfecta para encarnar el personaje,
una ambiciosa reportera sin miedo, y al respecto dice: -“Jenny es una persona
que exuda alta inteligencia y compasión, y eso no es tan simple de transmitir.
Ella hizo su preparación para el papel. Se juntó con mujeres periodistas, las
observó, especialmente en sus hábitos y actitudes. Eso le ayudó mucho para u
actuación”.

Connelly quedó especialmente fascinada por el constante cuidado de una
periodista, para no cruzar la fina línea entre el ‘reportar la historia’ y ‘volverse
parte de la historia’. –“Muchas de las periodistas con las que hablé, me contaron
qué difícil es controlar la reacción de querer intervenir, de hacer algo para
cambiar las cosas más rápidamente. Imagino que es difícil estar en ese entorno,
rodeada de tragedia, y sentir que de alguna manera te estás beneficiando con el
dolor de otra persona”- Connelly agrega –“Pienso que ese es el conflicto que
Maddy tiene en esta historia, especialmente en cuanto a Solomon. Ella se da
cuenta, que sin su ayuda, Solomon tal vez nunca encuentre a su familia. Pero
¿acaso ella estaría tan feliz de ayudarlo si no fuera que eso la ayuda a conseguir
una nota?

INFANTERÍA SIGNIFICA NIÑOS SOLDADOS

“Si uno mira lo que le sucede a un niño obligado a matar,
sabe lo que es la destrucción del alma humana”

A través de las conexiones de Maddy, Solomon encuentra a su familia en
un campo de refugiados. Allí se entera que su a hijo Dia de 12 años – un
estudiante que soñaba con ser médico – se lo llevaron los rebeldes y lo
obligaron a ser soldado. Kagiso Kuypers interpreta el papel de Dia. El es un
joven actor a quien descubrieron en la Escuela Nacional de Arte de
Johannesburg, en Sudáfirca. Zwick lo eligió entre cientos de otros niños, que
esperanzados habían venido desde todas partes de la región. -“Muchos de estos

niños eran admirables, pero Kagiso sobresalió entre todos ellos” -dice Zwick”“
Yo lo empujé para que hiciera la prueba de actuación, y quedé impresionado
por su entendimiento de lo que le hacen a Dia, y cómo eso lo cambia como niño
y como hijo”.

Zwick agrega: -“Yo tengo un hijo adolescente, y sólo la idea de que un
grupo de viciosos asesinos se lo llevara y le lavara el cerebro, es un horror que
traspasa los límites de la imaginación”.

Lamentablemente, ese horror se hizo realidad para cientos de padres en
un mundo donde el terror era una realidad.

Sorious Samura explica: -“Los niños soldados existen desde hace mucho
más tiempo que la guerra en Sierra Leona. Siguen existiendo porque hay gente
que se da cuenta que los niños pueden ser muy efectivos en contra del enemigo.
Ellos confunden las mentes de estos niños, y les enseñan a hacer cosas
terribles”.

-“Cuando uno ve lo que le sucede a un niño obligado a matar, sabe lo que
es la destrucción del alma humana”- declara Herskovitz- “Es un crimen sin
límites contra la humanidad”.

Gillian Gorfil está de acuerdo y dice: “Dos de las más preciosas
cualidades que tienen los niños, son su honestidad y su inocencia. Cuando uno
le saca la inocencia a un niño, ya nunca más la puede recobrar. Eso no tiene
perdón”.

-“¿Qué es lo que pierde un niño cuando alguien le pone una pistola en las
manos y le enseña a matar? ¿en nombre de qué se justifica hacer eso?” pregunta
Weinstein -“Estoy muy orgulloso de que Ed haya querido mostrar esa
parte de la historia con honestidad en la película”.

Si bien en el film los realizadores muestran sin miedo la adoctrinación de
los niños soldado, tuvieron mucho cuidado para proteger no sólo los cuerpos,
sino los corazones y las mentes de los jóvenes actores que interpretaron las
escenas.

-“Hubo todo tipo de reglas y lineamientos sobre las cosas a las cuales los
niños podían o no ser expuestos” – explica Herskovitz – “todo se hizo para
protegerlos, así que estábamos contentos de cumplirlos”.

Zwick trató con los niños directamente. -“Pasé mucho tiempo hablándoles
sobre las escenas, y explicándoles la historia de los niños soldado. Era
fundamental que entendieran las implicaciones de lo que estaban haciendo, y
ellos lo entendieron”.

Tal vez la prueba de qué bien los niños lo entendieron, se pueda ver en
las palabras de Kagiso Kuypers. Tras terminar de filmar “Blood Diamond”, él dijo:
-“Yo nunca usé, y nunca voy a usar una pistola para herir a alguien”.

Samura es optimista, y tiene la esperanza que las imágenes en pantalla
del cruel inicio de Dia como soldado, traigan un cambio positivo al mundo real. –
“Mucha gente en Sierra Leona no puede perdonar a los niños soldados. Tal vez,
si pudieran ver que no fue culpa de los niños, entenderían la necesidad de
perdonarlos”.

Hay dos figuras adultas en la película, que representan el horror y la
esperanza de los niños soldados. David Harewood encarna al despiadado
mercenario, el soldado rebelde conocido como Capitán Poison (Capitán
Veneno). El es el responsable de capturar y esclavizar a Solomon Vandy, y
luego atrapar a su hijo Dia. Harewood comenta: -“Creo que se puede describir a
mi personaje en una sola frase: -“Tal vez piensen que yo soy el demonio, pero
eso se debe a que yo he vivido en el Infierno. Y de ahí quiero salir’”.

En el lado opuesto está Benjamin, un maestro dedicado que tiene
una escuela para las víctimas más jóvenes de la guerra, incluyendo a ex niños
soldados. La escuela es un lugar en el cual, según Benjamín, uno puede volver
a la vida. Basil Wallace, interpreta el personaje de Benjamin, y comenta: “
Desde su punto de vista, aunque estos niños han pasado por el mismo infierno,
aún siguen siendo los hombres del futuro. Hay que quererlos y criarlos, porque
son una generación de niños que no conocen otra cosa más que el sufrimiento,
causar dolor, y si los dejamos así, no tenemos futuro”.

ÁFRICA

...”habiendo estado allí, creo que puedo decir que todos
nosotros quedamos marcados por ello. Desde entonces, no
podemos evitar ver al mundo de una manera diferente”.

“Blood Diamond” se filmó enteramente en Africa. Para Ed Zwick eso era
crucial, en su mayoría por razones que de cierta forma eran intangibles. -“Africa
es un lugar de grandes contrastes. Por donde sea que uno va se encuentra con
imágenes de impresionante belleza, y de desgarrante inmundicia, de gran
espiritualidad y profunda pobreza. Todo le viene a uno a los ojos, y causa un
efecto en todos. Es muy difícil describir ese efecto… baste decir que si
hubiéramos filmado la película en otro lado, no tendría el sentido inefable que le
da el lugar”.

La película también se filmó en Sierra Leona, si bien el director reconoce
que: -“Africa ecuatorial del oeste no tenía la infraestructura para las necesidades
de una producción de este tamaño. Necesitábamos también otros exteriores”.

Luego de explorar la costa de Sudáfrica, en el área cerca de Port Edward
la provincia KwaZulu Natal, encontramos el lugar ideal. El paisaje de selva
exuberante fue el telón de fondo de tres importantes escenarios: el de la mina de
diamantes, el del campo de refugiados y la escuela de Benjamin. Para crear los
escenarios, el diseñador de producción Dan Weil, realizó su propia investigación,
si bien a eso se agregó el beneficio de las descripciones de primera mano de
Samura.

El clima sin embargo no cooperó demasiado. -“Esta es la tercera vez que
yo voy a un lugar a donde me prometen buen tiempo, y de alguna manera
pareciera que yo traigo las peores lluvias jamás registradas en la historia
moderna”- se ríe Zwick -“De hecho, tuvieron precipitaciones que rompieron con
todos los registros de las estaciones de lluvia. Eso significó tener que
adaptarnos a las circunstancias. Eduardo y yo estábamos siempre volviendo a
planear las tomas para acomodarnos al tiempo”- agrega, refiriéndose al director
de fotografía Eduardo Serra.

Paula Weinstein agrega: - “¡Este continente es excitante, está realmente
vivo! Cada mañana, estos tipos venían a la filmación, y comenzaban a describir
qué tipo de bicho habían encontrado en su habitación la noche anterior. Cada
día era algo así como:’Ok, ¿qué había en tu habitación ayer por la noche? ¿una
lagartija? ¿tal vez viste una víbora?’ Uno debía que tener sentido del humor al
respecto, y no comportarse como una estrella malcriada de Hollywood. Eso no
funcionaba, por eso tratábamos de reírnos sobre las historias de cada uno”.

Además de las preocupaciones por el clima y los animales salvajes, los
cineastas tuvieron en mucha consideración del hecho de que estaban en un
área ecológicamente sensible. Por eso, tomaron muy seriamente la
responsabilidad de dejar los lugares en los que trabajaban en igual- o en
algunos casos en mejor- condición de lo que los habían encontrado.

El productor Kevin De La Noy dice: -“Antes siquiera de ir al valle,
realizamos un investigación del impacto que tendría nuestro trabajo en el
entorno. Cuando comenzamos a trabajar tuvimos que cumplir con un plan de
conservación ambiental. Cada día, había oficiales de la Administración de
Tierras Provinciales en el lugar, que se aseguraban que cualquier planta
indígena que tuviéramos que mover, la moviéramos de la manera adecuada.
Luego esas plantas debían mantenerse en un invernadero, para volverlas a su
lugar original al final de la filmación”. Además de mantener meticulosamente la
flora del lugar, los cineastas también hicieron traer camiones de plantas y
árboles nativos de Sierra Leona, para decorar los exteriores.

Para que los camiones pudieran acceder al lugar, debió crearse un
sistema de caminos, en donde antes no existían más que senderos. Esos
caminos debían ser lo suficientemente anchos como para dejar circular
camiones, pero debían a su vez, ser diseñados para no causar gran impacto en
los árboles y arbustos que los bordeaban. El camino mismo fue construido
dentro de un marco de malla de alambre, para poder facilitar sacarlo al final de la
filmación. Así, la vegetación podría volver a retomar su territorio.

Zwick cuenta: -“Kevin ha vuelto recientemente de un viaje a Port Edward,
tras la filmación, y dijo que el pasto ya volvió a crecer en el lugar en donde

filmamos, y que nueva fauna había vuelto en abundancia, para deleite de los
guardabosque y los ecologistas. Restaurar el lugar era muy importante para
nosotros, y me siento muy orgulloso de decir que nuestros esfuerzos al respecto,
tuvieron mucho éxito”.

Desde Port Edward, el equipo se mudó a Mozambique, en donde la
ciudad de Maputo hizo las veces de la ciudad capital de Sierra Leona, Freetown.

Filmar la explosiva caída de Freetown presentó una serie de problemas
logísticos a todo el equipo de producción. El director señala que fue necesaria
cuidadosa coordinación para conseguir un gran disturbio. El explica: -“El tumulto
debía parecer caótico, pero eso no se puede lograr caóticamente. Eso requería
mucha planificación y concentración. No puedo ni contar las veces que
caminamos por esas calles y discutimos la posición de las cámaras, los actores,
los dobles, los extras…”.

Zwick también trabajó conjuntamente con el supervisor de efectos
especiales Neil Corbould, para coreografiar los tiempos y los lugares de las
explosiones. El continúa diciendo: -“Es un proceso redundante y muy intenso, y
uno tiene que ser paciente e implacable. A la vez, uno debe dejar lugar para los
imponderables, porque lo inesperado sucede”.

Se utilizó cantidad de gente del lugar como extras, en las secuencias de
batalla.

En cuanto al vestuario, fue la diseñadora Ngila Dickson, quien estuvo a
cargo. Ella ya había trabajado previamente con Zwick en “The Last Samurai”.
Dickson mandó a buscar telas a Sierra Leona, las cuales ella dice, tiene colores
y diseños especiales. -“Son atrevidas y hermosas, con muchos diseños florales.
A mí me parece que tiene un diseño con aire de las islas. También compramos
en muchos negocios de segunda mano, para conseguir ropas que se adaptaran
al tiempo y al lugar en que sucedía la historia”.

Los realizadores tuvieron especial cuidado con los efectos que las
escenas de batalla tendrían en los habitantes de Maputo. Algunos de ellos
tenían la memoria muy fresca de la propia guerra civil de Mozambique. Para
mitigar traumas innecesarios, se repartieron volantes, y se hicieron publicidades

en todos los medios, advirtiendo a la gente que escucharían y verían escenas de
batallas, pero que todo sería una actuación para filmar una película.

Irónicamente, fueron los extras locales los que calmaron y consolaron a
los cineastas y a los actores entre las tomas. Weinstein explica: -“Algunas veces,
tras filmar alguna escena emotivamente difícil, ellos se juntaban en algún rincón
y comenzaban a cantar todos juntos. Eso ayudó a dar un espíritu de calidez en
el lugar de filmación, y nos hizo sentir felices de estar allí, y de tener la suerte de
estar contando esta historia. En verdad, fueron los anfitriones más amables y
maravillosos de todo el proceso”.

Pese a todo, el realismo fue demasiado para algunas de las personas que
trabajaban en la película. El entrenador de dialecto Mende, Alfred Lavalie, no
pudo aguantar ver más tras el primer día de filmación y Samura admite: -“Trajo
tristes memorias a mucha gente del lugar, y debo confesar, que me hizo dar
cuenta de qué suerte tuve yo de poder sobrevivir. Volví a mi hotel y lloré, llamé a
mis hijos y les dije que los quería. Yo espero que la gente que mire esta película
pueda comprender la inmensidad de esta locura”.

En las afueras de Maputo, la pequeña villa de pescadores Costa du Sol,
hizo las veces del lugar en donde vivía pacíficamente la familia de Vandy. Esa
paz, en la filmación, se haría pedazos cuando el poblado fuera atacado
repentinamente por brutales soldados rebeldes.

Zwick comenta: -“Es muy difícil poder imaginarse que estas cosas todavía
suceden en el mundo. Uno quiere sentarse y relajarse en la confortable vida que
tenemos en los Estados Unidos. Pero creo que tras haber estado allí, todos
nosotros quedamos marcados. Desde entonces, no podemos evitar ver al
mundo de una manera completamente diferente”.

LA BONDAD COMIENZA EN EL LUGAR

“Es imposible estar en unos de esos lugares, por cualquier
espacio de tiempo y no sentirse conmovido, aún sabiendo que
cualquier cosa que uno haga, no va a ser suficiente”.

Cuando la filmación en Mozambique terminó, los equipos se trasladadon
a lugares en Londres, India, y Bélgica, donde se filmarían el resto de las
escenas. Pero antes de dejar Africa, una idea comenzó a surgir entre todos los
actores y el equipo de producción. Cada uno de ellos se había sentido
profundamente tocado por la gente que conocieron allí. Al mismo tiempo, habían
presenciado las grandes privaciones con que vivían. Entonces decidieron
cambiar las cosas.

Durante la filmación, Djimon Hounsou se tomó el tiempo de ir a visitar una
Aldea Infantil SOS cerca de Maputo. (SOS Children es la obra de caridad más
grande del mundo, que ayuda a huérfanos y a niños abandonados). Otros
actores y gente del equipo de producción, incluyendo a Leonardo DiCaprio,
también disfrutaron la oportunidad para visitar algunos de los niños de la aldea,
que se unieron a ellos para trabajar de extras.

Al desarmar los escenarios, la mayoría de la utilería, materiales de
construcción, ropa y hasta cosas personales, fue distribuida entre los orfanatos
locales y los hospitales. Además, el equipo de construcción, construyó
voluntariamente escritorios y sillas para los orfanatos y las escuelas.

-“Es imposible estar en uno de esos lugares, por cualquier espacio de
tiempo y no sentirse conmovido, aún sabiendo que cualquier cosa que uno haga,
no va a ser suficiente” – dice Zwick – “El jefe de producción de nuestra unidad,
Nick Laws, hizo todo lo que pudo para enterarse cuáles eran las necesidades
específicas en las áreas en donde habíamos estado filmando”.

Weinstein afirma: -Uno no puede quedarse sin hacer nada, si se entera
que si uno pone mil dólares, las mujeres no van a tener que caminar 40 minutos
para conseguir agua. En mi caso, eso sucedió sin que nadie tuviera que pedirme
nada”.

Todos los miembros del reparto, del equipo de filmación y de cineastas
pusieron dinero. Algunos comenzaron con una cantidad por semana, otros más,
para ayudar a las comunidades que los habían recibido durante la filmación de
“Blood Diamond”. Con esas donaciones, se lanzó la “Fundación de Caridad
Blood Diamond”, la cual sigue creciendo.

Zwick agrega: -“Cuando yo informé a Warner Bros. los fines de la
fundación, el estudio inmediatamente estuvo de acuerdo en igualar el total de
todas nuestras donaciones”.

-“Formar parte de la Fundación, personalmente para mí, fue gratificante”-
dice Marshall Herskovitz -“Yo he participado en proyectos en los que la gente
dice que quiere participar, pero luego nada sucede. De cierta forma, no
pensamos en esto como una caridad, sino como en una manera de
agradecimiento, y para seguir en contacto con la gente en Africa que fue tan
amable con nosotros”.

El trabajo con los fondos recién ha comenzado. Sus metas son variadas,
e incluyen proyectos como cavar pozos de agua, crear caminos, construir
escuelas, proveer útiles para las escuelas, proveer comida, asistencia médica y
mucho más.

-“Es tan solo una gota en un océano comparado con todo lo que se
necesita hacer. Pero hicimos lo que pudimos… y vamos a continuar haciendo lo
que podamos”- declara Zwick.

EPÍLOGO

Llevó años de trabajo dedicado y mucho coraje por parte de testigos,
periodistas y organizaciones como Amnistía Internacional, Partnership Africa-
Canada, Global Witness y Oxfam, para llamar la atención del mundo hacia la
crisis de los Diamantes de Sangre. Al esparcirse el conocimiento del tema, se
requirió un cambio en el comercio de diamantes, lo cual terminó en el Esquema
de Proceso de Certificación Kimberley (KPCS), el cual se estableció el 5 de
Noviembre del 2002. El proceso Kimberley es un acuerdo auto–regulado entre
las naciones exportadoras de diamantes, y los gobiernos participantes, para
implementar la legislación “para el monitoreo efectivo del comercio de diamantes
en bruto, para poder detectar y prevenir el comercio de ‘diamantes conflictivos’”.

Con este fin, la industria internacional de diamantes acordó participar en
un sistema voluntario de garantías, para asegurar que los diamantes puedan ser
rastreados hasta su punto de venta.

Desde el 6 hasta el 9 de Noviembre del año 2006, en Gaborone,
Botswana el proceso Kimberley, hizo una revisión de los últimos tres años de
funcionamiento, para saber si funciona, y para identificar maneras de fortalecer
el Esquema.

Se necesita crucialmente acción decisiva a partir de la revisión, para
asegurar que el esquema KPCS se desarrolla en un sistema de certificación
efectivo, para ponerle fin a los diamantes que sirven para crear conflicto.

Las organizaciones protectoras no niegan que los acuerdos Kimberley
hayan mejorado la situación. –“Sin embargo, inclusive ahora, es una
circunstancia muy difícil de controlar”- detalla Zwick – “no le estamos diciendo a
la gente que deje de comprar diamantes, pero necesitamos que los
consumidores insistan en ver el certificado de garantía de los diamantes que
compran. El Proceso Kimberley se creó gracia a que el tema cobró conocimiento
público. Si esta película tiene éxito para incrementar esa conciencia, con suerte
va a reforzar aún mucho más ese proceso”.

LAS CINCO “C” PARA LOS CONSUMIDORES

Se dice a los compradores de diamantes, que deben considerar las 4 C
para elegir uno: color, corte, claridad y peso en carates. Sin embargo hay una
más a considerar antes de realizar la compra. La C de Conflicto.

Amnistía Internacional y Global Witness, tiene un panfleto que ayuda a los
consumidores que sus diamantes nunca otra vez sean fondo para conflictos. Al
comprar una joya con diamantes, el comprador puede preguntar al vendedor
cuatro preguntas, para enterarse qué está haciendo el comerciante para prevenir
el comercio de diamantes conflictivos. Esas preguntas son:

o ¿Cómo sé que sus diamantes no son diamantes conflictivos?

o ¿Sabe usted de dónde provienen los diamantes que usted vende?
o ¿Puedo ver una copia de las normas de su compañía con respecto
a los diamantes conflictivos?
o ¿Puede mostrarme una garantía escrita de sus proveedores de
diamantes declarando que sus diamantes no son conflictivos?
El vendedor debe poder presentar toda esa información sin problemas, si
así no fuera, el consumidor debería tratar de comprar en otro lado… y decirles
por qué.

Trágicamente, el crimen del rapto de niños para convertirlos en soldados
es constante en escala mundial Recientes noticias reportan que en Sri Lanka
miles de jóvenes varones son sacados de sus familias en pasadas que cubren
barrios completos.

Un reporte reciente, estima que hoy, hay unos 400.000 niños soldados en
el mundo.

# # #

Si a usted le interesa saber más sobre los diamantes de sangre, y /o los
niños soldados, los cineastas recomiendan las siguientes fuentes:

DOCUMENTALES

“Cry Freetown” & "Return to Freetown" – dirigida por Sorious Samura

“War Photographer” – dirigida por Christian Frei

“Shadow Company” – dirigida por Nick Bicanic y Jason Bourque

NO-FICCIÓN

“Blood Diamond” – Greg Campbell
“Blood from a Stone” – Douglas Farah
“Innocents Lost” – Jimmie Briggs
“Mukiwa” – Peter Godwin
“How de Body? One Man's Terrifying Journey
Through an African War” – Teun Voeten
"In the Land of Magical Soldiers"
A Story of White and Black in West Africa - Daniel Bergner
“The Devil that Danced on the Water:
A Daughter’s Quest” - Aminatta Forna

WEBSITES

Amnestyusa.org
GlobalWitness.org
Pacweb.org (Partnership Africa-Canada)

SOBRE LOS ACTORES

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO (Danny Archer) fue propuesto para los Premios
de la Academia dos veces, la última por su interpretación como Howard Hughes,
en la película del 2004 del director Martin Scorsese. “The Aviator”. La actuación
de DiCaprio en la película, le hizo ganar el Globo de Oro al Mejor Actor en un
Drama, además de valerle la postulación a los premios Critics’ Choice y el de la
BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts). Además, también fue
postulado para dos Premios del Gremio de Actores de cine (SAG), una como
Mejor Actor y la otra para el premio conjunto al Mejor Grupo, junto a los actores
de reparto de “The Aviator”. En el año 2004, en el Festival de Cine de
Hollywood, DiCaprio fue elegido como Actor del Año.

DiCaprio nació en Hollywood, California, y comenzó a actuar a los 14
años. Tras realizar pequeñas partes en televisión,.comerciales y películas,
obtuvo un papel con el cual aparecía regularmente en el programa televisivo
“Growing Pains”.

Su papel trampolín vino de la mano del director Michael Caton-Jones,
quien eligió a Leonardo para hacer el papel de Tobias Wolff, papel deseado por
muchos, en la adaptación para la pantalla de la novela dramática autobiográfica
de Wolff, “This Boy’s Life”. Junto a Leonardo actuaron Robert De Niro y Ellen
Barkin.

DiCaprio luega actuó junto a Johnny Depp en 1993, en “What’s Eating
Gilbert Grape?” Su actuación como un joven retrasado mental le valió su primera
postulación al Mejor Actor Secundario del Premio de la Academia y para los
premios Globo de Oro. Además ganó el Premio al Mejor Actor Secundario
otorgado por la Junta Nacional de Críticos, y el Premio Nueva Generación de la
Asociación de Críticos de Películas Los Angeles.

En 1995 DiCaprio tuvo papeles protagónicos en tres distintas películas,
comenzando por la película de vaqueros de Sam Raimi, “The Quick and the
Dead”, con Sharon Stone y Gene Hackman. Continuó desafiándose a sí mismo

actuando como un drogadicto en el drama de Jim Carroll, “The Basketball
Diaries”, por cuya actuación fue alabado, y luego dio vida al perturbado poeta
pansexual Arthur Rimbaud en “Total Eclipse” de Agnieszka Holland.

Al año siguiente DiCaprio actuó en la obra del director australiano Baz
Luhrmann, la adaptación para cine de “William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet”,
DiCaprio ganó el premio al Mejor Actor por su interpretación en ella, en el
Festival de Cine Internacional de Berlín. Ese mismo año, se juntó a un reparto
de grandes estrellas en “Marvin’s Room”, en la cual actuaban Meryl Streep,
Diane Keaton y Robert De Niro. Con ellos compartió un postulación para el
premio de la SAG (Gremio de Artistas de Cine) en la categoría Mejor Grupo de
Actores.

En 1997, Leonardo fue el actor principal del super exitazo del director
James Cameron, “Titanic”. Su interpretación lo puso muy cerca de ganar un
Globo de Oro, al ser nominado para el premio. La película ganó 11 premios de la
Academia, entre ellos a la Mejor Película, y todavía sigue siendo la película de
mayor recaudación de todos los tiempos.

Seguidamente actuó como dos personajes en “The Man in the Iron
Mask”,.a lo que le siguió “The Beach” y la película de Woody Allen,“Celebrity”.

DiCaprio recibió una tercera postulación para el Globo de Oro en el 2002,
al encarnar al estafador Frank Abagnale, en la película “Catch Me If You Can”
dirigida por Steven Spielberg. Ese mismo año también actuó en el drama “Gangs
of New York”, película que marca su primer trabajo bajo la dirección de Martin
Scorsese.

DiCaprio actuó recientemente en la película de Martin Scorsese “The
Departed”, junto a Matt Damon y a Jack Nicholson.

JENNIFER CONNELLY (Maddy Bowen) ganó el premio de la Academia
por su actuación en la película de Ron Howard “A Beautiful Mind”, coprotagonizada
por Russell Crowe. La película ganó también el Oscar a la Mejor
Película. Por su actuación como la sufriente esposa de John Nash, Alicia,
Connelly recibió los premios Globo de Oro, el de la BAFTA (British Academy of

Film and Televisión Arts), el del Instituto Americano de Filmación (AFI), el Critics’
Choice, más la postulación al premio del Gremio de Actores de Cine, en la
categoría Mejor Actriz Secundaria.

Connelly fue candidata al premio Critics’ Choice recientemente por su
actuación en el drama “House of Sand and Fog”, la cual protagonizó junto a Ben
Kingsley. Previamente había sido listada para los premios Independent Spirit,
por su interpretación de una resuelta drogadicta, en la película de Darren
Aronofsky, “Requiem for a Dream”.

Connelly ahora está rodando la película independiente “Reservation
Road”, junto a Joaquin Phoenix y Mark Ruffalo.

Entre otros de sus trabajos, cabe mencionar sus papeles protagónicos en:
la película de terror “Dark Water”; “Little Children” de Todd Field; el film de
acción “The Hulk” de Ang Lee, con el actor Eric Bana; la muy aclamada película
biográfica “Pollock”, dirigida y protagonizada por Ed Harris; la película de
suspenso “Waking the Dead” de Keith Gordon, con Billy Crudup; “Inventing the
Abbotts” con un reparto que incluía a Crudup; el film de misterio “Dark City” de
Alex Proyas, la película “Mulholland Falls” de Lee Tamahori de tema policial,
drama de los años 1950, la controvertida película de John Singleton “Higher
Learning”; la película de aventuras “The Rocketeer”, dirigida por Joe Johnston;
“Some Girls”, del director Michael Hoffman; la fantasía de aventuras de Jim
Henson “Labyrinth”; y “Once Upon A Time in America” del director Sergio
Leona,la cual fue el debut de Connelly en el cine.

DJIMON HOUNSOU (Solomon Vandy) fue candidato al premio de la
Academia y ganó el premio Independent Spirit for su interpretación de Mateo, un
solitario cuya vida cambia a partir de su amista con dos niñas, en la película
sobre inmigrantes de Jim Sheridan “In America”. Hounsou también fue
destacado en 2004 como Actor Secundario del Año en ShoWest, y compartió la
noinación al premio del Gremio de Actores de Cine (SAG) en la categoría
Actuación de Reparto Sobresaliente junto a todos los otros actores de la película
“In America”.

Al comenzar su carrera Hounsou fue listado a los Globos de Olro y ganó
un premio Image por su interpretació de Cinque, el africano que lidera un
levantamiento para recobrar la libertad, en la película histórica de Steven
Spielberg, el drama “Amistad”. Luego compartió una nomianción al premiko del
Gremio de Actores de Cine por su papel en el film ganador del Oscar del director
a la Mejor Película, del director Ridley Scott, “Gladiator”.

En 2005, Hounsou actuó en 3 películas: la futurista de Michael Bay “The
Island”, junto a Ewan McGregor y Scarlett Johansson; la de misterio
“Constantine”, protagonizada por Keanu Reeves; y la comedia “Beauty Shop”, en
donde se juntó a un reparto liderado por Queen Latifah. Entre sus otros trabajos
en cine, cabe mencionar: “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” dirigida
por Jan de Bont, protagonizada por Angelina Jolie; “The Four Feathers”, de
Shekhar Kapur, con Heath Ledger y Kate Hudson; y “Deep Rising”.

En television, Hounsou actuó en seis episodios como refugiado africano
buscando asilo, en la serie dramática “ER”, y más recientemente tuvo
repetidamente un papel en la serie “Alias”, protagonizada por Jennifer Garner.

Hounsou nació en Benin, Africa del Oeste, y se mudó a París a los 13
años, para tener una mejor educación. Siendo adulto, el diseñador de modas.
Thierry Mugler lo descubrió, y comenzó a trabajar con él y el legendario fotógrafo
Herb Ritts. El director David Fincher luego re-descubrió a Hounsou, y le dio n
papel en varios videos musicales. A eso siguieron varios papeles pequeños,
hasta que finalmente le llegó la oportunidad de actuar en un película imprtante,
en 1997, en “Amistad”.

Además de su papel en “Blood Diamond”, Hounsou podrá se visto en
Diciembre en la aventura fantástica “Eragon”.

MICHAEL SHEEN (Simmons) ahora está haciendo el papel del Primer
Ministro Tony Blair en el aclamado drama de Stephen Frears “The Queen”.
Previamente personificó a Tony Blair, también bajo la dirección de Frears en la
película televisiva “The Deal”. “The Queen” es la tercera película en la que
Sheen trabaja con Frears. El debutó en cine con la película del mismo director,

“Mary Reilly”, en la cual interpretaba al sirviente del Dr. Jekyll. Otras películas de
cine en las que actuó Sheen son: “Kingdom of Heaven” deRidley Scott, “Laws of
Attraction”, “Bright Young Things” de Stephen Fry, “Underworld”, “The Four
Feathers” de Shekhar Kapur “Wilde”.

Sheen nació en Gales, y estudió en la Academia Real de Artes
Dramáticas de Londres (RADA), en donde en su segundo año ganó el codiciado
premio Laurence Olivier Bursary popr sus consistentemente excelentes
actuaciones. Mientras que estudiaba en RADA, Sheen consiguió un papel junto
a Vanessa Redgrave en 1991, en la obra “When She Danced”, el cual fue su
debut en el West End.

Desde entonces Sheen recibió nominaciones al premio Olivier por su
actuación en “Amadeus”, “Look Back in Anger”, y“Caligula”, con el cual también
ganó el premio del Círculo de Críticos de Londres y el premio de la publicación
London Evening Standard. Sheen recibió gran reconocimiento por su actuación
en obras tales como “Romeo and Juliet”, “Peer Gynt” y “Henry V”. En 1999,
Sheen debutó en Broadway, voviendo a retomar su papel de “Amadeus”. Más
recientemente, Sheen concluyó la obra que vendió sala completa “Frost/Nixon”,
en la cual actuaba como David Frost al de Frank Langella.

ARNOLD VOSLOO (El Colonel), es nativo de Sudáfrica, pero es conocido
por muchos espectadores por su papel del Gran Sacerdote Imhotep en las
exitosas películas de acción “The Mummy” y “The Mummy Returns”. Pronto
podrá ser visto en la película independiente “Living & Dying”. Entre sus otros
trabajos en cine, pueden mencionarse “Agent Cody Banks”, “Endangered
Species”, “Zeus and Roxanne”, “Hard Target” de John Woo’s, y “1492: Conquest
of Paradise” de Ridley Scott’s. En televisión, Vosloo hizo el papel del villano
Habib Marwan en la cuatra estación de la exitosa serie “24”.

En Sudáfrica Vosloo ha sido destacado dos veces con el premio Dalro al
Mejor Actor. La primera vez en 1984 por “Boetie Gaan Border Toe”, la cual fue
su debut en cine, y la segunda vez en 1990 por “Circles in a Forest”. Recibió una

nominación al Mejor Actor por su actuación en la versión de cine de “More Is ‘n
Lang Dag”, en donde interpretó el papel que antes había desarrollado en teatro.

Vosloo ganó muchos premios por su trabajo en el escenario, entre ellos
por las obras “Don Juan” y “Torch Song Trilogy”, y también por “More Is ‘n Lang
Dag”. El ha aparecido en teatros alrededor del mundo, incluyendo el Circle in the
Square de Nueva York, el North Light de Chicago y el West End de Londres.

KAGISO KUYPERS (Dia) debuta por primera vez en la gran pantalla con
“Blood Diamond”.

Este niño de 14 años, estudió danza y drama en la Escuela Nacional de
Arte de in Johannesburg, Sudáfrica. Ahora ha vuelto a la escuela, y espera
poder hace muchio más en su carrera como actor, y continúa estudiando
danzas.

SOBRE LOS REALIZADORES

EDWARD ZWICK (Director/Productor) es un director, productor y
guionuista que ha trabajado en una gran cantidad de películas tanto para cine
como para televisión. Como productor de cine, el ganó el premio de la Academia
y el de la BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) por su trabajo en
el film que ganó el Oscar a la Mejor Película, “Shakespeare in Love”, y fue
candidato al Oscar a la Mejor Película por “Traffic”, el film dramático de Steven
Soderbergh.

Zwick también ha sido reconocido por su trabajo como director. El recibió
una nominación a los Globos de Oro al Mejor Director, con su segunda película,
un drama sobre la guerra civil de 1989, “Glory”, con la cual el protagonista
Denzel Washington ganó su primer Oscar, al Mejor Actor Secundario. Zwick
recibió su segunda nominación a los Globos de Oro, por su trabajo como director
en “Legends of the Fall”, con los primeros actores Anthony Hopkins y Brad Pitt.

Zwick también produjo esa película. Luego pasó a dirigir “Courage Under Fire”,
con las estrellas Denzel Washington y Meg Ryan. Más tarde dirigió, escribió y
produjo “The Siege”, que fue la primera película en la que trabajó con
Washington.

Zwick recientemente dirigió, co-escribió y produjo, la gran película épica
“The Last Samurai”, protagonizada por Tom Cruise y Ken Watanabe. Con ella
ganó el premio de la Junta Nacional de Críticos al Mejor Director. Entre las
primeras películas que dirigió, se encuentran “Leaving Normal” y “About Last
Night…”. Zwick produjo “I Am Sam”, con la actuación de Sean Penn, y ganó el
premio Stanley Kramer del Gremio de Productores a las películas que vierten luz
sobre problemas sociales.

Zwick viene de Winnetka, Illinois, Zwick y allí trabajaba de aprendiz en el
Festival de la Academia de Lake Forest. Luego pasó a estudiar en la universidad
de Harvard, en donde se dedicó a la literatura, mientras que continuaba
escribiendo y dirigiendo teatro. Cuando se graduó, recibió la beca Rockefeller
Fellowship para estudiar en Europa.

En 1975, Zwick fue aceptado con Director Colega en el Instituto de
Filmación Americano (AFI). Su cortometraje de AFI “Timothy and the Angel”,
ganó el primer lugar en la competencia de estudiantes de filmación en el Festival
de Cine de Chicago 1976. Eso lo llevó a ser el editor de historia de la aclamada
serie dramática “Family”. Más tarde pasó a ser productor de la serie, y escribió y
dirigió varios episodios. En 1980, Zwick recibió su primera nominación al premio
Emmy por su trabajo de productor en la serie “Family”.

Tres años más tarde, Zwick dirigió, produjo y co-escribió el telefilm
“Special Bulletin”, por el cual ganó dos premios Emmy, al Mejor Especial de
Drama y al Mejor Guión, y recibió una moción como Mejor Director. “Special
Bulletin” le brindó a Zwick al premio del Gremio de los Directores de América, el
del Gremio de Escritores de América (WGA), y el premio Humanitas. El proyecto
fue el principio de lo que luego sería un largo trabajo conjunto con Marshall
Herskovitz, a quien había conocido en el AFI, y con quien formó la compañía
The Bedford Falls.

El primer trabajo de Bedford Falls fue la serie de televisión
“thirtysomething”, la cual ganó el premio Emmy a una Serie Dramática en 1988,
y luego recibió tres otras nominaciones al Emmy en la misma categoría. Zwick
también fue candidato a los premios Emmy y el del Gremio de Escritores de
América por su trabajo como escritor. Otros trabajos que realizó para televisión
son la muy vivada serie “My So-Called Life”, “Relativity”, y “Once and Again”, por
la cual Zwick ganó su segundo premio Humanitas.

Otros galardones recibidos por Zwick en su carrera, incluyen dos premios
Peabody, y el premio Franklin J. Schaffner Alumni otorgado por al AFI.

MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ (Productor) fue candidato al Oscar, por su
trabajo en la película de Steven Soderbergh “Traffic”. El film ganó cuatro premios
de la Academia, y fue nominado para la Mejor Película. A lo largo de su
distinguida carrera, Herskovitz trabajó como director, escritor, y productor de
películas tanto para cine como para televisión.

Herskovitz recientemente co-escribió y produjo la película de tema
histórico dirigida por Edward Zwick, “The Last Samurai”. En ella era protagonista
Tom Cruise. Otros de sus trabajos como productor incluyen: “I Am Sam”,
protagonizada por Sean Penn, con la cual él compartió el premio Stanley Kramer
del Gremio de Productores de América, a las películas que vierten luz sobre
problemas sociales, “Dangerous Beauty”, la cual también dirigió; y la película de
Zwick “Legends of the Fall”, con los primeros actores Anthony Hopkins y Brad
Pitt. Herskovitz previamente había debutado como director con el drama “Jack
the Bear”, protagonizada por Danny DeVito.

Herskovitz nació en Philadelphia, y estudió en la Universidad Brandeis.
Luego estudió en el Instituto de Filmación Americano (AFI), en donde conoció a
Zwick en 1975. Comenzó su carrera escribiendo y dirigiendo varias series de
televisión, entre ellas “Family” y “The White Shadow”. La primera vez que trabajó
en conjunto con Zwick fue para co-escribir la película de televisión de 1983
“Special Bulletin”, Por su trabajo en la serie.ganó dos premios Emmy, al Mejor

Especial de Drama y al Mejor Escritor de una Serie Limitada o Especial, y el
premio del Gremio de Escritores de América, más el Humanitas .

En 1985, Herskovitz y Zwick se asociaron y formaron la compañía The
Bedford Falls, cuyo primer trabajo fue la serie de televisión “thirtysomething”. En
su cuarta temporada en el canal ABC, la serie otorgó a Herskovitz gran cantidad
de honores, entre ellos dos premios Emmy a una Serie Dramática en 1988, al
Escritor de una Serie Dramática, un premio del Gremio de Escritores de
América, y el Premio Peabody

Tras este éxito Herskovitz y Zwick produjeron tres aclamadas series de
televisión, bajo la firma Bedford Falls: “My So-Called Life”, que el fue el trampolín
para la carrera de Claire Danes; “Relativity”; y “Once and Again”, por la cual
Herskovitz ganó su tercer premio Humanitas.

Herskovitz se preocupa mucho por la ecología, y es miembro de varias
organizaciones dedicadas a la conservación de los preciosos recursos naturales
de América. Recientemente fue elegido Presidente del Gremio de Productores
de América.

PAULA WEINSTEIN (Productora) es una prolífica productora, con una
carrera fecunda tanto en cine como en televisión. Weinstein, supervisa Spring
Creek Pictures, y su más reciente producción es la comedia dramática “The
Astronaut Farmer”, protagonizada por Billy Bob Thornton.

Weinstein se crió en Europa y comenzó su carrera trabajando como
ayudante de editor de películas en la ciudad de Nueva York. Se convirtió en
Directora de Eventos Especiales en el despacho del alcalde John Lindsay.

Al mudarse a Los Ángeles en 1973, Weinstein fue contratada como
agente de talentos, lo que luego derivó en la creación de International Creative
Management (ICM). Más tarde ella se fue a trabajar a la Agencia William Morris.

Weinstein se unió en 1976 a Warner Bros. Pictures como Vicepresidenta
de Producción y, posteriormente, como Vicepresidenta Senior de producción
Mundial con Twentieth Century Fox en donde trabajaba con vice presidente
señor para producción mundial. Estando allí, desarrolló y produjo películas como

“Nine to Five”, protagonizada por Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin y Dolly Parton; y el
drama sobre las cárceles, “Brubaker”, con el actor principal Robert Redford.

En 1979, Weinstein se trasladó a la Compañía Ladd, colaborando en
largometrajes como “Body Heat”, el debut cinematográfico de de Lawrence
Kasdan como director.

Tras dos años con Ladd, pasó a unirse a United Artists como Presidenta
de la División de Largometrajes, donde supervisaba películas tan diversas como
“WarGames” y “Yentl”, por nombrar algunas.

En 1984, y en sociedad con Gareth Wigan, Weinstein puso en marcha
WW Productions. En 1987 ella asumió el puesto de Consejera Ejecutiva para
MGM en su división a nivel mundial. Esta situación le permitió continuar
produciendo proyectos independientes como “A Dry White Season” y “The
Fabulous Baker Boys”.

En 1990, Paula Weinstein y Mark Rosenberg formaron Spring Creek
Productions. Su primera producción cinematográfica fue “Fearless”, dirigida por
Peter Weir que estaba protagonizada por Jeff Bridges y Rosie Perez, quien
recibió una nominación al Oscar por su interpretación. Weinstein luego fue
productora de las películas “Flesh and Bone”; “Something to Talk About” de
Lasse Hallström; “The Perfect Storm”, de Wolfgang Petersen, protagonizada por
George Clooney y Mark Wahlberg; la exitosa comedia “Analyze This”, con el par
de artistas de primer línea Robert De Niro y Billy Crystal; y las películas de Barry
Levinson “Liberty Heights” y “Bandits”. Entre los trabajos más recientes de
Weinstein están las películas “Monster-In-Law”, protagonizada por Jane Fonda y
Jennifer Lopez; y “Rumor Has It”, con Jennifer Aniston y Shirley MacLaine.

Bajo la firma Spring Creek, Weinstein produjo varios proyectos para la
pantalla chica, como “Iron Jawed Angels”, has para la cadena HBO,
protagonizada por Hilary Swank; “Truman”, con Gary Sinise, con la cual
Weinstein ganó un premio Emmy a la Película de Televisión Sobresaliente, y
“Citizen Cohn”, con el actor James Woods, película que ganó cuatro premios
Emmy.

GRAHAM KING (Productor) es el Presidente y CEO de Inicial
Entertainment Group, una compañía de cine independiente, líder en Hollywood,
que adquiere, produce y co-produce películas para el mercado mundial. King
fundó Inicial EG en 1995, y desde entonces su compañía ha producido
importantes películas independientes.

Recientemente King produjo el drama policial “The Departed”, el cual es
se tercer trabajo conjunto con el director Martin Scorsese. En el año 2004,
Scorsese realizó la película biográfica de Howard Hughes, “The Aviator”,
grandemente halagada, en la cual Leonardo DiCaprio era el protagonista. El film
recibió 10 nominaciones al premio de la Academia, entre ella a la Mejor Película,
y ganó el premio de la BAFTA a la Mejor Película. King también fue distinguido
por el Gremio de Directores Americanos con el Premio Laurel de Oro, como
Productor del Año. Antes, King había sido co-productor ejecutivo para la
grandiosa película dramática de Scorsese, “Gangs of New York”, en la cual eran
protagonistas DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis y Cameron Diaz.

Para Inicial EG, King fue productor ejecutivo para las películas: “The
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys”, producida con la compañía de Jodie Foster, y
actuada también por ella; el film biográfico dramático “Ali”, con la actuación de
Will Smith en el papel principal; y la película “Traffic”.

King nació en Inglaterra, y comenzó su carrera en estudios en 1982, al
mudarse de Inglaterra a los Estados Unidos. Entonces comenzó a trabajar en la
distribución internacional de películas de los estudios Twentieth Century Fox.
Tres años más tarde se fue para formar Initial Entertainment Group, la cual
ahora trabaja proyectos asociados con algunos de los talentos más prominentes
de la industria, entre ellos, los de la compañía productora de Johnny Depp,
Infinitum Nihil.

Recientemente, Initial Entertainment Group firmó contrato de primera
opción con Warner Bros. Pictures, a través de cual producirán “Shantaram”,
junto con Infinitum Nihil. Entre los proyectos venideros que están en distintas
etapas de producción, cabe mencionar “Next”, protagonizada por Nicolas Cage,
“Benighted”, y “Prince of Thieves”.

GILLIAN GORFIL (Productora) próximamente producirá la película
“Brilliant”, la cual ella también co-escribió junto con su hermana, Elizabeth
Shorten. La película está programada para comenzar su producción a principios
del año que viene, y estará protagonizada por Scarlett Johansson.

Gorfil debutó como productora en 1993 con la comedia “Father Hood”,
protagonizada por Patrick Swayze y Halle Berry, y dirigida por Darrell Roodt. En
1997, ella produjo el drama de Roodt, “Dangerous Ground”, con los actores Ice
Cube, Elizabeth Hurley y Vingh Rhames. Ella fue la productora inicial del
proyecto que pasó a ser “Blood Diamond”.

Gorfil nació en Johannesburg, fue modelo internacional, tuvo negocios y
construyó propiedades antes de entrar en el mundo de la industria del cine. Ella
estudió cine y medios en Pretoria Tecknikon.

CHARLES LEAVITT (Historia/guión) escribió el guión para el drama de
fantasía del 2001, “K-Pax”, dirigida por Iain Softley y protagonizada por Kevin
Spacey y Jeff Bridges. Previamente había escrito el guión para la película
dramática de Peter Chelsom, “The Mighty”.

En este momento Leavitt tiene varias películas en desarrollo para distintos
estudios. Entre ellos “The Express”, la historia del ganador del trofeo Heisman,
Ernie Davis, la cual va a ser dirigida por el director Gary Fleder y producida por
John Davis; la adaptación de “The Ha Ha”, para el director/ productor Akiva
Goldsman. Además, Leavitt adaptó el libro de no-ficción súper ventas de
Nathaniel Philbrick “In the Heart of the Sea”, la verdadera historia en la cual se
basó “Moby Dick”. Recientemente Leavitt firmó un contrato para escribir
“Confessions of a Wall Street Shoeshine Boy”, que será producida por Donald
De Line y Paula Weinstein.

LEN AMATO (Productor Ejecutivo) es el presidente de Spring Creek
Productions, en donde él continua su ya larga relación con Paula Weinstein.

Bajo el nombre Spring Creek, recientemente produjo la película “The Astronaut
Farmer”, protagonizada por Billy Bob Thornton.

Amato comenzó su carrera como analista de historias para varios
estudios y compañas productoras independientes. Luego pasó a ser editor de
historias para Robert De Niro, cuando él creó Tribeca Productions, donde
comenzó a trabajar con la co-fundadora Jane Rosenthal en la película de
Michael Apted “Thunderheart”, y en la de Irwin Winkler “Night and the City”.

Amato comenzó su asociación con Spring Creek Productions a
medidados de los años ’90, como vicepresidente de desarrollo. El estaba a
cargo de la oficina de Nueva York, para los co-fundadores Mark Rosenberg y
Paula Weinstein. En 1997, debutó como productor en la película de HBO “First
Time Felon”, dirigida por Charles Dutton. Al año siguiente se mudó a Los
Angeles para ser vice presidente ejecutivo de Baltimore/Spring Creek Pictures.
Eso fue cuando Weinstein se asoció con Barry Levinson para crear la compañía.

En 1999, Amato fue co-productor de la comedia “Analyze This”, dirigida
por Harold Ramis, en la que actuaban Robert De Niro y Billy Cristal. En el 2002,
fue productor ejecutivo de la secuela “Analyze That”. Fue luego productor
ejecutivo para la película de Neil LaBute, “Possession”, protagonizada por
Gwyneth Paltrow y Aaron Eckhart, y produjo “Deliver Us from Eva”. Más
recientemente Amato fue productor ejecutivo del premiado drama de la cadena
HBO drama, “Iron Jawed Angels”, en él actuaban Hilary Swank y Anjelica
Huston. También fue productor ejecutivo para la película romántica “Rumor Has
It…”, dirigida por Rob Reiner y protagonizada por Jennifer Aniston, Shirley
MacLaine, Kevin Costner y Mark Ruffalo.

KEVIN DE LA NOY (Productor Ejecutivo) trabajó previamente con el
director Edward Zwick, como jefe de unidad de producción, en “The Last
Samurai”. Entre sus trabajos como productor están: el drama de ciencia-ficción
“Timeline”, de Richard Donner el cual co-produjo, y la premiada película
dramática sobre la Segunda Guerra Mundial, del director Steven Spielberg,
“Saving Private Ryan”, en la cual él fue productor asociado.

“Blood Diamond” es su cuarta película filmada en Africa. El fue supervisor
de producción de la película de John Avildson “The Power of One”, filmada en
Zimbabwe, volvió a Sudáfrica como jefe de supervisión de lugares para la
películas “The Ghost and the Darkness”. Más recientemente, fue jefe de unidad
de producción de la película “Ali”, la cual se filmó en Mozambique y Ghana.

De La Noy también fue jefe de unidad de producción para las películas
“Braveheart”, “Mission: Impossible”, “Mission: Impossible II” y “Titanic”. Además,
trabajó como jefe de lugares y asistente de dirección en una gran cantidad de
películas.

BENJAMIN WAISBREN (Productor Ejecutivo) recientemente trabajó
como productor ejecutivo en el drama policial de Steven Soderbergh “The Good
German”, basada en la novela de Joseph Kanon del mismo nombre. La película
estaba protagonizada por George Clooney y Cate Blanchett. Entre sus últimos
trabajos están, el drama político “V for Vendetta”, y la aventura de acción
“Poseidon”.

Waisbren es un financista que trabaja en la financiación y producción de
películas de cine, tanto en los Estados Unidos como en Europa.

Tiene formación en el campo de leyes, inversiones bancarias e
inversiones privadas en acciones.

Entre su próximas producciones se encuentran las películas: 300”, “The
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford”, “First Born”,
“Gardener of Eden”, “Nancy Drew” y “Duane Hopwood”.

EDUARDO SERRA (Director de Fotografía) dos veces fue nominado para
el Premio de la Academia, por su trabajo en las películas “Girl with a Pearl
Earring” y “The Wings of the Dove”. Además fue postulado para el premio de
BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Televisión Arts) por ambas películas,
ganando el premio con la última. Por su dirección de cámaras en “Girl with a
Pearl Earring”, fue distinguido por varios grupos de críticos, entre ellos la

Asociación de Críticos de Cine de Los Angeles, y ganó varios premios
internacionales de filmación.

Serra nació en Portugal, y ha trabajado mucho de los dos lados del
Océano Atlántico, realizando más de 40 películas en Francia, su país adoptivo.
El recibió una postulación al premio César por su trabajo en “Le Mari de la
coiffeuse”, una de sus cinco colaboraciones con Patrice Leconte. Serra también
filmó cinco películas del director Claude Chabrol, la más reciente entre ellas,
“L’ivresse du pouvoir”.

Entre otros de sus trabajos tras las cámaras, cabe mencionar “Beyond the
Sea”, dirigida y protagonizada por Kevin Spacey; “Unbreakable” de M. Night
Shyamalan, “What Dreams May Come”, protagonizada por Robin Williams;
“Jude” de Michael Winterbottom, y “Map of the Human Heart”, por mencionar
solo algunas películas.

DAN WEIL (Diseñador de Producción) recientemente fue el diseñador de
producción de la aclamada película dramática de Stephen Gaghan, “Syriana”,
con la cual Weil ganó su segundo premio del Gremio de Directores de Arte,
otorgado por sus pares. Su primera candidatura al premio, fue por su trabajo en
la película de Doug Liman, “The Bourne Identity”.

Weil nació en Francia, en donde fue destacado con el premio César,por el
diseño de la producción de la película de Luc Besson, “The Fifth Element”, y fue
listado para el mismo premio César, por la película de Besson, “La Femme
Nikita”. Entre otras de sus colaboraciones con Besson están las películas “The
Big Blue”, “The Professional” y “The Dancer”.

Otros de los trabajos de Weil fueron las películas “King Arthur”, “The
Libertine”, “Beautiful Mother”, “Total Eclipse”, “Les Truffes”, “Hors la vie” y
“Tristesse et beauté”.

STEVEN ROSENBLUM (Montaje) ha estado asociado con el director
Edward Zwick, desde la seire de televisión “thirtysomething”, por la cual
Rosenblum ganó el premio Emmy a la Edición Sobresaliente de una Serie. Su

primera película juntos fue el drama sobre la Guerra Civil, “Glory”, la cual logró
que Rosenblum fuera listado por primera vez para los premios de la Academia a
la Mejor Edición. Su segunda nominación al Oscar, le llegó de la mano de la
película ganadora del premio de la Academia a la Mejor Película, “Braveheart”,
dirigida y actuada por Mel Gibson.

Rosenblum realizó el montaje de las películas de Zwick “Legends of the
Fall”, “Courage Under Fire”, “The Siege” y “The Last Samurai”. Además, él
trabajó con Marshall Herskovitz en su debut como director, con la película “Jack
the Bear”.

Entre sus trabajos para otros directores, cabe mencionar “Failure to
Launch” de Tom Dey, “xXx 2: The Next Level” de Lee Tamahori, “The Four
Feathers” de Shekhar Kapur, “Pearl Harbor” de Michael Bay y “X-Men” de Bryan
Singer.

NGILA DICKSON (Diseñadora de Vestuario) ganó el premio de la
Academia 2004 por su trabajo en la película de Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the
Rings: The Return of the King”. Ese año fue candidata dos veces, y fue también
distinguida por el diseño del vestuario de la película de Edward Zwick, “The Last
Samurai”. Dickson fue listada por primera vez para el Oscar y para el Premio de
la BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Televisión Arts) por su trabajo en “The
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”. Además, ella ganó el premio de
la BAFTA por su trabajo en “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”, y ganó el
Premio del Gremio de Diseñadores de Vestuario, más su tercera nominación al
premio de la BAFTA, por sus diseños en “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of
the King”.

Dickson viene de Nueva Zelanda en donde trabajó por primera vez en el
debut como director de Peter Jackson en su primera película, “Heavenly
Creatures”. Entre sus primeros trabajos están: el proyecto para televisión “The
Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy” en 1989, sobre el hundimiento de un barco de la
organización Greenpeace, y la versión para cine de la misma historia, llamada
“The Rainbow Warrior”. Dickson también diseñó el vestuario de la serie “Xena:

Warrior Princess”, exitosa internacionalmente, por la cual recibió el premio de
Nueva Zelanda a la Mejor Contribución al Diseño en Cine o Televisión.

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD (Compositor) ha sido nominado seis veces
para el Premio de la Academia, y es uno de los compositores más prolíficos de
la industria del cine. Newton Howard compuso más de cien piezas para películas
de cine y televisión. La última vez que fue candidato al Oscar, fue por la música
de la película de M. Night Shyamalan, “The Village”. Howard compuso la música
de todas la películas de Shyamalan, comenzando por la que fue la pieza debut
del director, “The Sixth Sense”, a lo que siguió “Unbreakable”, “Signs” y más
recientemente, “Lady in the Water”.

Otras de sus piezas nominadas para el Oscar fueron las de las películas
“My Best Friend’s Wedding”, “The Fugitive” y “The Prince of Tides”. Obtuvo dos
otras nominaciones al Oscar a la Mejor Música Original por “Look What Love
Has Done”, de la película “Junior”, y “For the First Time”, en “One Fine Day”.
Newton Howard también fue listado para los premios Globo de Oro por ambas
canciones. Howard recibió su tercera nominación al Globo de Oro por su música
en la película de Peter Jackson, la nueva versión de “King Kong”.

Entre la larga lista de trabajos de Howard, cabe mencionar “RV”,
“Freedomland”, “Batman Begins”, “The Interpreter”, “Collateral”, “Hidalgo”,
“America’s Sweethearts”, “Runaway Bride”, “Romy and Michele’s High School
Reunion”, “Primal Fear”, “Outbreak”, “Wyatt Earp”, “Dave”, “Falling Down”,
“Grand Canyon”, “My Girl”, “Pretty Woman” y “Major League”, por nombrar
algunos.

Newton Howard fue también distinguido por su trabajo en televisión,
ganando un premio Emmy al Tema Principal Sobresaliente, por su trabajo en la
serie “Gideon’s Crossing”, y fue candidato al premio Emmy en la misma
categoría por su música para “ER”.

SORIOUS SAMURA (Consultor Técnico) nació en Sierra Leona, y filmó lo
que hoy es considerado el mejor documental de su país de la guera civil de

1999. Su título,“Cry Freetown”. Por su trabajo, Samura ganó los premios The
Rory Peck y el The Mohamed Amin, convirtiéndose en la primera persona en
haber ganado ambas distinciones. El fue también uno de los ganadores del
premio 1999 al Periodista Africano del Año 1999, otorgado por la cadena CNN.
En el año 2002, él presentó la película “Return to Freetown”, en la cual,
habiendo vuelto a su tierra desgarrada por la guerra, trata de reunir niños
soldados con sus familias.

Samura es conocido por su estilo narrativo en primera persona. En sus
relatos él debe pasar por las mismas dificultades y peligros que pasan los
personajes de los cuales relata. Entre sus otros documentales están: “Exodus
from Africa”, “Living with Hunger”, “Living with AIDS”, “Living with Refugees”,
“Guinea: Sex for Food”, “21st-Century War” y “Living with Illegals”.

Junto con su socio de filmación, Ron McCullagh, Samura es el director de
Insight News TV. Las películas de Samura ganaron varios premios prestigiosos,
entre ellos el de la BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), dos
premios Emmy, dos One World Media, tres Amnesty International Media, un
Columbia-DuPont, un premio Peabody, el Prix Europa, el premio Japan, el Harry
Chapin Media, tres premios Overseas Press Club of America, un Golden Nymph
en el Festival de Televisión de Monte Carlo, y una Medalla de Bronce en el
Festival de Nueva York. Samura se graduó en periodismo en la escuela de
periodismo de la Universidad de Columbia, y fue distinguido con el premio Logro
de Toda un Vida, en su taller anual sobre relaciones entre razas,“Let's Do It
Better”.

# # #