VARIOUS: Leonardo DiCaprio who stars in "Blood Diamond" talks about conflict diamonds, child soldiers, hip- hop's role, and his time in Africa.

After watching the plight of residents of poverty-hit Mozambique for six months, actor Leonardo DiCaprio admits that he had returned home to Hollywood after filming his new film 'Blood Diamond' with a new perspective on life. "Well to me the film was very, the diamond and conflict stones, sort of represented a larger picture of you know every time we as consumers buy something we are essentially advocating or voting or endorsing the way that company does business and this is a very specific case where these diamonds in Sierra Leone did have a horrific effect on the people there and caused millions of people to die in Africa. Caused, like you said, child soldiers refugees you know a host of other problems and just makes you more socially aware. Certainly when it comes to the issue of diamonds a lot has been done since then to improve it. Organizations feel like there is al ot of improvements that can still happen. Certainly as a consumer if I go into a store an buy a diamond again I am going to ask the right questions and make them prove to me that isn't a conflict stone you know. Just you know it's representative of a much bigger thing having to do with corporate responsibility and the responsibilities of the consumers to," DiCaprio told Reuters. The film has the diamond industry concerned that moviegoers may walk out of cinemas with the idea that all diamonds are tainted. De Beers, which produces more than 40% of the world's diamonds, argue that they have largely fixed the problem of conflict, or "blood," diamonds--gems mined illegally by warlords and sold to buy weapons and pay soldiers. Human-rights campaigners however welcome Hollywood's focus on the issue and say it has helped tighten industry oversight even before the film's release. In the run-up to the holiday period - peak season for diamond sales and blockbuster movies - the public spat makes an interesting study of how a big studio movie can threaten a 60 billion U.S. dollar-a-year global retail industry, one that has previously thrived on its association with all things Hollywood, and how that business can fight back. Leonardo DiCaprio has seemed a reluctant movie star ever since he broke out in the 1997 blockbuster 'Titanic.' But after 2006, with 'The Departed' and 'Blood Diamond,' two awards-season movies released back to back, DiCaprio will have to work harder than ever to avoid the spotlight. In 'Titanic's' wake, the actor didn't go out of his way to make small films, though 'The Beach' and 'The Man in the Iron Mask' ended up that way. For the most part, DiCaprio's choices have been commercially astute. His relationship with Martin Scorsese on 'Gangs of New York,' 'The Aviator' and 'Departed,' put him in the Oscar race. As the youthful Howard Hughes in 'Aviator,' DiCaprio earned his second Oscar nomination. The Boston gangster picture 'The Departed', with DiCaprio starring as one of the lead characters in a acting ensemble led by Jack Nicholson, is holding strong at the box-office grossing more than 100 million U.S. dollars. 'Diamond's' director Edward Zwick, of 'The Last Samurai', directed the South African adventure will be released in the United States on December DiCaprio, a 32 year old Los Angeles native and environmentalist, is a long time fan of hip-hop music. With diamonds being such a prevalent measure of success in the 'bling bling' culture the actor says that times are changing namely starting with rapper Nas. "Usually when it come sot issues like, I didn't know much about it before hand, but hopefully a movie like this that is the great thing about being a part of a movie like this might get people a little more aware of the issue and just be more conscience in the future. Talking about hip- hop, (Rapper) Nas just recorded a song for this movie all about his own shame having to with being in the hip- hop community and buying diamonds. But again you know the main thing to say about this film its not advocate them to buy them or not to buy them. These specifics stones these conflict diamonds and what goes on because of them needs to be eradicated you know. Because diamonds are a source of economic stability for Africa still so it's just about being aware you know," DiCaprio said in Los Angeles, California. In 'Blood Diamond' DiCaprio is front and centre in an anti-hero role. He's a ruthless South African diamond smuggler (Danny Archer) who enlists perky journalist Jennifer Connelly (Maddy Bowen) to help him find the missing son of South African farmer Djimon Hounsou (Solomon Vandy) -- as well as his buried giant pink diamond. Along the way, Connelly and Hounsou's characters both help DiCaprio's damaged treasure hunter find his conscience. DiCaprio's spent six months in Africa rehearsing the role, spending time with former child soldiers and preparing his Afrikaans accent. "You spend six months there and your with an all African crew and you have children on set that were child soldiers and children whose both parents who have been lost as a result of AIDS and you can't help but be completely effected by it and have a complete different outlook on life. As a result we the film community try to give back to the community that we shot in and the studio matched that and working with orphanages as a result of it. Trying to help them out but it makes you come back to the United States just with a different outlook on you know the way we live out lives. We have not much to complain about. If they can maintain a positive attitude about life so can we and it is the responsibility of us as the richer countries of the world to give back to a place like that and try top help some of the problems there," DiCaprio said. DiCaprio is facing the happy dilemma of handling two possibly Oscar-worthy performances. Warner Brothers pictures says it will campaign for DiCaprio in the best actor category for 'Diamond,' a movie whose political agenda he cares about deeply. DiCaprio is slated next to portray Theodore Roosevelt for Scorsese, or take on a thriller like Robert Ludlum's 'The Chancellor Manuscript.'

ITN Source | November 23, 2006

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