Diamond Road is a film that, as its title suggests, follows the trail of diamonds. Its central characters each represent a different stage in the development of the diamond.
There's Manoj, a 13-year-old boy in India forced to leave school for a three-month unpaid apprenticeship to a diamond polisher in Surat;
There are the traders - mainly Jewish and Indian - who facilitate the flow, polishing and sale of diamonds,
And there are the high-flyers of the fashion world, who design and are in the market for things like the diamond dress worth 50 million US dollars.
In Sierra Leone, diamonds have been as much of a resource curse as oil has been in other conflict zones. One local NGO worker refers to them as "the devil's egg", adding that he wishes they'd never existed. Instead of bringing wealth to an impoverished country, they're bringing ever more war and exploitation.
Good for business
One of the film's most colourful characters is Martin Rapaport a diamond trader turned fair trade advocate. He's harnessing his irrepressible cheerfulness and boundless energy to convince his colleagues in the diamond world that getting a better deal for the exploited diggers in Sierra Leone is going to be good for business.
Diamond Road producer Robert Lang says that Rapaport believes that "the market will self- correct according to the demands and needs and desires of the consumer", and he adds that his purpose in making the film was not to talk people into boycotting diamonds - just be more responsible when buying them
Demand a certificate
At the moment, anyone in the market for a diamond can demand a certificate showing the history and origin of the stone. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) is a rigorous check on diamond exporters that prove the diamonds haven't come from conflict zones.
Diamonds are sold to us on an idea - they represent eternity, and put a monetary price on love and commitment. They've been one of the marketing success stories of the century but it's a success not shared equally by the different people on the Diamond Road.
However, according to Robert Lang and director Nisha Pahuja there is hope for the future. And that hope lies in consumer responsibility. Lang says: "Just as people are demanding a certain kind of food today, whether it be pesticide or GM free, once the demand is there, then the industry has to change, and that's where I see hope. So when you're in a store, buying a diamond, demand to know where its come from - don't just ask, demand."
Tags: Blood Diamonds, Dimaonds, Documentaries, Fair Trade, Sierre Leone