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DIAMONDS CAN INDEED BE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND
Daniel Dercksen talks to Gillian Gorfil
When Gillian Gorfil wandered through the V & A Waterfront centre she might have appeared to be like any other normal Capetonian. Many noticed this attractive woman and some might have even recognised her from her glory days as an international model.
It is hard to imagine that behind the petite facade of the woman who gazed up at posters of the film Blood Diamond, stood one South Africa's most successful producers.
Looking at the posters brought back fond memories for Gorfil. Her thoughts drifted back to 1993 when the idea that eventually became Blood Diamond originated at her house in Cape Town.
Armed with volumes of research, from books to articles, Gorfil set her sights on Charlie Mitchell, a screenwriter whose work she admired, and someone whom she thought would be the ideal candidate to help her realise her dream project.
"I could not pay him his fee of $1 million and therefore had to persuade him to write the script on spec," says Gorfil who invited Mitchell to stay with her for a few weeks in 1995, during which time she set up meetings to develop the screenplay then called 'Okavango'.
Gorfil took Mitchell all over South Africa and Botswana where he met a variety of people, from "diamond company employees, to diamond dealers, to diamond cutters, to diamond smugglers, to journalists, to conservationists, to traders of all types common in Africa."
Mitchell returned to Los Angeles and after he completed the first draft a year later, Gorfil sent the script out to various studios, with Warners buying it immediately.
During the next few years Okavango came close to being made, but "something always prevented it from happening," says Gorfil.
"Looking back on that period now, I am grateful for the delays," she says. "Because the film that we have now made is better for the wait."
When Paula Weinstein, who made 'A Dry White Season' and was familiar with South Africa, came on board, it was agreed that it needed a new writer and some fresh ideas, and Chuck Leavitt (who wrote the screenplay for the fantasy drama "K-Pax) was hired to do the rewrite.
"The setting changed to Sierra Leone and the story was set against the backdrop of chaos and civil war of the 90s," says Gorfil.
Director Ed Zwick, who directed Glory and The Last Samurai, committed to the project in 2005 and did a polish of the screenplay with Marshall Herskovitz, his partner of 30 years.
Soon after that Leonardo Di Capprio committed to the film and Gorfil's life changed.
"What had previously been a fantasy suddenly became a reality - a very welcome one at that," she says.
It was the subject matter that initially drew Gorfil to the project.
"It is extremely topical and important. It is real, it's true, it's emotional and it's important to tell to try to make sure it does not happen again," she says.
"That's unacceptable as is the fact that despite the Kimberley process, Blood diamonds still exist," says Gorfil, referring to the end titles of Blood Diamond that states that there are still 200 000 child soldiers in Africa.
She is overwhelmed by the outcome and success of the film.
"I'm thrilled beyond words and extremely proud of the film that we have made. It was a privilege to be involved in a project with a cast and crew of such integrity and talent."
Gorfil feels truly proudly South African having worked on a film of the immense scale, particular her local crew, who shot some of the major scenes near Port Edward.
"They were focused and passionate about the film they were making. Every day they came to work there was a sense that we were making a really valuable movie, something that would last. And we did."
She firmly believes that although the South African film industry has come a long way, "we still have a long way to go."
"As storytellers and filmmakers I think that we have to break away from the obvious 'political' films and start exploring stories."
"It's very hard to raise money for films here and I really do admire producers and directors who do that because it is not easy, says Gorfil, who mainly works from her offices in Los Angeles.
The producing bug first hit her when she was a student at the Pretoria Technikon. She did not jump into the business of making films immediately and chose another career for a while.
"It was only in 1990 that I began to think about films again. It became a dream and one that I began to pursue," says Gorfil who made her producing debut on the 1993 comedy Father Hood, starring Patrick Swayze and Halle Berry, and was directed by Darrell Roodt.
She then produced Roodt's 1997 drama Dangerous Ground, starring Ice Cube, Elizabeth Hurley and Vingh Rhames.
Her future projects include the film Brilliant, which she co-wrote with her sister and will start shooting in Bulgaria in May, with Scarlett Johansson in the leading role.
She is also adapting 'The Horse Thief' with Nicholas Lorentz, based on Willem Steenkamp's novel.
"It is important to keep looking and developing material," says Gorfil.
What excites her about the film industry is that "it's always changing and the challenges keep getting hard," and that it also "brings together people from all over the world."
At the moment, all her attention is focused on Blood Diamond, a film she hopes will help local audiences not only gain a better understanding of what a conflict diamond is, but will spread an awareness of child soldiers in Africa.
"People need to know. Something needs to be done."
With producers like Gillian Gorfil on our side, there is indeed hope for the future of the South African film industry.
Copyright © 2007 Daniel E. Dercksen
QUESTION AND ANSWER WITH GILLIAN GORFIL
How did BLOOD DIAMOND happen? You initiated the project?
Yes, I was the original producer on the project. In 1993 I began to develop an idea for a project that was made into a feature film this year, called Blood Diamond. I had met a screenwriter, Charlie Mitchell, whose work I admired and who I thought would be a great choice to write the screenplay. We had several meetings over the following two years and I sent him volumes of research, from articles to books. I could not pay him his fee of $1 million and therefore had to persuade him to write the script on spec. In 1995 he agreed to come to South Africa to stay with me and develop the screenplay. During his three-week stay I set up many meetings to help with his research. He met a variety of people, from diamond company employees, to diamond dealers, to diamond cutters, to diamond smugglers, to journalists, to conservationists, to traders of all types, common in Africa. I took him all over Botswana and South Africa and arranged for him to travel to Namibia and Maputo. When Charlie returned to Los Angeles, he had agreed to begin work right away on the screenplay. When he finished the first draft in 1996, I flew to Los Angeles for script meetings. Once we were all happy with the screenplay, Charlie's agent, Dave Wirtschafter, the president of William Morris Agency, sent the script out to studios and Warners bought it immediately . The script was titled Okavango. Several times over the next few years Okavango came close to being made, but something always prevented it from happening. Looking back on that period now, I am grateful for the delays, because the film that we have now made is better for the wait. Several years later, Paula Weinstein was asked to join the production. It was agreed by all involved that the project needed a new writer and some fresh new ideas. The concept of a diamond miner finding a large pink uncut diamond, hiding it, the consequences that unfold from there for anyone who knows about the stone, the fact that men are prepared to die for it and that in the end the diamond could end up nowhere else, but in the hands of the powerful cartel, was part of the original idea and has remained central to the story of Blood Diamond. Polly Cohen, the vice president of Warners, sent me a script that Chuck Leavitt had written. I read it, and like everyone else, thought that he would do a great job rewriting Okavango. Shortly after this he was hired to do the rewrite. I spoke with him several times on the phone and flew out to LA to meet with him, Len Amado and Paula Weinstein. It was decided that the rewrite would be set in Sierra Leone, set against the backdrop of chaos and civil war of the 1990s.
On January 31st 2005 Ed Zwick committed to the project. He did a polish of the screenplay with his partner, Marshall Herskovitz, and soon after that Leonardo Di Caprio committed to the film, followed by Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly. So what had previously been a fantasy, suddenly became a reality - a very welcomed one at that.
What has made it such an interesting project?
The subject matter is extremely topical and important. This project is interesting because it's real, it's true , it's emotional and it's important to tell to try to make sure that it does not happen again. The film ends with a subtitle that says there are still 200,000 child soldiers in Africa. That's unacceptable as is the fact that despite the Kimberly process, Blood Diamonds still exist. The film, however, does acknowledge the Kimberly Process which has certainly gone a long way to helping eradicate Blood Diamonds. They now represent a tiny percentage of the diamonds on the market ( some say 1%), but in an industry worth billions of dollars even that is worth an enormous amount of money - millions of dollars. Lynn Fredriksson, Amnesty International USA's Africa advocay director suspects this figure is higher, but says, "Even if that were the amount, that's alot of small arms and rockets and granades". As the director Ed Zwick said, "The idea of something perceived as a symbol of beauty, love and romance being connected to such untold violence needed to be brought to the world's attention. In the late 1990's, people from various organizations gave it a name to help put the crisis into the public consciousness: "They called them Blood Diamonds".'
How do you feel about the outcome?
I'm thrilled beyond words and extremely proud of the film that we have made. It was a privilege be involved on a project with a cast and crew of such integrity and talent from the director, Ed Zwick, to the amazing principal cast of Leonardo Di Caprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly to the director of photography, Eduardo Sierra, the editor Steven Rosenblum and the composer James Newton Howard to name just a few.
Will you do it again? Future projects?
I certainly hope so. I'm actually busy working on my next project as we speak. I wanted to have a writing credit and well as a producing credit on the next film that I do and thankfully that is what has happened. I developed an original story with a friend of mine, Nick Lorentz, and then my sister Elizabeth Shorten and I wrote the script. It's called 'Brilliant'. It's is completely different from Blood Diamond. It's a fun big summer movie, a "Thomas Crown Affair''. I've always loved that genre. Give me James Bond and box of popcorn any day. I grew up on Bond. Scarlett Johansson is attached to star in the move and John Amiel (Entrapment) will direct. We are in the process of casting the two male leads. We shoot in Europe in May.
Your views on the South African film industry?
I think that we've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go. There are certainly very professional and talented crews here, as well as actors and writers. As story tellers and film makers I think that we have to break away from the obvious "political" films and start exploring stories. I don't really work here very much. My lawyer, Bob Wallerstein, and agent, Alan gasmer, are based in Los Angeles and that is where I go to set my projects up. It's very hard to raise money for films here and I really do admire producers and directors who do that, because it is not easy.
When did the producing bug bite you? Is this what you always dreamed if doing?
I went to the Pretoria Technikon to study film. At the time it was the only place in South Africa where you could take this course. They only took 20 students a year so it was quite tough to get in. The biggest joke is that I applied in the same year as Darrell Roodt. They accepted me and not Darrell. We had a good laugh about that when we first met. Sadly, the course did not really inspire me and I chose another career for a while. It was only a few years later, in 1990, that I began to think about films again. It became a dream and one that I began to pursue.
Future projects?
I co wrote "Brilliant" with my sister, Elizabeth Shorten. The screenplay has been bought by Nu Image in Los Angeles and Scarlett Johansson is attached. We begin shooting in Bulgaria in May. It is the first time that I'll have a writing and producing credit. I'm very excited about that. I'm also adapting 'The Horse Thief' based on the book by Willem Steenkamp with Nicholas Lorentz. It's a small South African move and one that I have been passionate about for many years. I'm currently in negotiations for a best selling book based in the US. It's important to keep looking and developing material. I like the projects that I do to vary in size and genre. I think that's important or you type cast yourself.
What do you think makes a great producer?
Someone who reads and doesn't take no for an answer!
What do you think a producer should look for in a screenplay?
Is the story a strong one and are the characters sufficiently strong and original to attract the principal cast? At studio level and the higher the budget goes, the smaller that list of actors and actresses becomes. Leo Di Caprio, George Clooney and Brad Pitt are one everyone's wish lists.
What excites you about the film industry?
It's always changing and the challenges keep getting harder.You need to keep up, be on top of your game and read. Most of all read. Who wouldn't love doing that? The film industry also brings together people from all over the world. I've met talented, passionate, well read, well traveled people. It's a real privilege.
Highlights working on BLOOD DIAMOND.
There were so many but let me try to choose some.
Getting the call from Spring Creek in Los Angeles to say that Ed Zwick had committed to the project. Instantly I knew that the film would be made and that it would be made with integrity and with passion.
Getting the call from Warner Brothers to confirm that Leonardo Di Caprio would play Danny Archer. In my opinion he is one of the greatest actors around. And he's shown time and agin that he's going to be around for a long time.
My first day on set in Natal, seeing Djimon Hounsou and David Harewood in the scene where Harewood throws Hounsou the spade and asks him to start digging.
The following day Leonardo Di Caprio was on set and we shot the scene where Danny Archer runs through the diamond mine while it was being bombed and grabs Dia. There were nine cameras rolling that day. It was quite extraordinary. I was really happy that my daughter, Kate, was with me. She was mesmerized by the set and the size of the action.
Watching Ed Zwick direct a scene. He really is extraordinary. He doesn't miss a thing. In an enormous action scene, with explosives, helicopters, chaos and hundreds of extras, he will spot one guy way off in the corner who is not reacting as he should. I don't know how he does that.
Watching Jennifer Connolly and Leo in Maputo in the scene where Archer first meets Maddy.
Taking Leo and Djimon to meet Nelson Mandela and Gracia Machel at their home in Maputo. Mandela was utterly charming and really funny. We were all a little nervous and intimidated but he set us at ease right away. It was a memorable day.
Going to a local school with Djimon and several members of Oxfam. The children had no desks, no books, no pencils and yet they were there and happy to be there.They really wanted to learn. I was very moved as was Djimon.
Being on set the last day when Ed Zwick called, "it's a wrap and the champagne corks popped".
Working with producer Paula Weinstein who has an abundance of integrity and compassion, as well as talent.
Watching James Newton Howard conduct the score in London.
Attending the premier in Los Angeles at the Man's Chinese Theatre.
Seeing the posters up in Nu Metro in the waterfront!
What do you hope the audience will get out of BLOOD DIAMOND?
A better understanding of what a conflict diamond is and to ensure that the consumer, when buying a diamond, asks for a certificate of origin. An awareness that there are still 200,000 child soldiers in Africa. That's unacceptable. People need to know. Something needs to be done.
Do you think diamonds are still a girl's best friend?
Now that was a really good marketing champagne if ever I saw one. Were they ever a girl's best friend? I'm not sure about that, but certainly many many women want one.
You must feel proudly South African working with such a great local crew.
Of course I do. They were professional, hard working, focused and passionate about the film they were making. Every day they came to work there was the sense that we were making a really valuable movie, something that would last. And we did.
Copyright © 2007 Daniel E. Dercksen
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