Conversation with Djimon Hounsou
by Felicia M. Tomaska

Seeing the stars up close and personal is one of the perks of this Film Festival. Djimon Hounsou inspired a crowd for the Conversations With... after a special showing of Blood Diamond. For this dedicated Edhat reporter, it wasn't hard to see why. He's good-looking, articulate, gracious, funny, and serious. He smiled for a couple of propositions and posed for countless pics with fans gathered.

What was most revealed during the discussion was the depth which he brings to a role. Personal depth contributes: he speaks five languages and mines his own emotions to relate to a character. And in Blood Diamond, where Hounsou plays fisherman forced to mine for diamonds, Solomon Vandy, he read the script repeatedly (five times) to embody the essence of the character and the story. He portrayed that essence and his performance was one of the shining images in the film, where Hounsou stars with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Connolly in the bloody tale of conflict and courage. Critics, this dedicated reporter and the Oscar nominating committee all agree, and he is in the running for best supporting actor. The packed theater wished him good luck, and hopefully, the collective goodwill will serve as a charm.