Conflict diamonds—raw stones mined in war zones and illegally traded to fund rebel militias—made international headlines in the nineties, during the violent civil war in Sierra Leone that left tens of thousands dead. The issue regains the spotlight on December 8, when Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou, and Jennifer Connelly, opens in U.S. theaters. Directed by Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai) and set in Sierra Leone, the story centers on a rare pink diamond discovered by Solomon Vandy (Hounsou), a local fisherman forced by militants to work in the diamond fields, and his relationship with an opportunistic smuggler (DiCaprio) who wants the stone for himself. ANTHONY CERRETANI spoke with Benin-born Hounsou, 42, a few weeks before Blood Diamond's premiere.

OUTSIDE: This film is an adventure story at heart: Your character treks through jungles and mountainous rebel territory to recover a hidden diamond.
HOUNSOU: The shoot was very physical and emotional—being chased, running left and right in the bush, day in and day out. There was nothing about it that was easy. Hopefully the movie's message will come through; people who see it will have a better understanding of what went down and, in some places, is still going down.

Is that what drew you to this project—the opportunity to bring the situation to light?
Africa is my continent. It is where I opened my eyes. The more awareness we can bring to an issue there, the more people will rally the leaders of developed countries to do something about it.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou in Blood Diamond (Jaap Buitendi/Warner bros)