Livia Firth and Andrew Morgan Hosted a Screening for a New Film Which Spotlights All That the Botswana Diamond Industry Does Right

The immortal Marilyn Monroe song “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” was given new meaning at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on Wednesday night, where Livia Firth and director Andrew Morgan hosted a screening of their new film The Diamonds of Botswana, which focuses on the ways in which Botswana’s women are empowered by their country’s diamond industry.

Twelve minutes in length, the short film (which you can watch here) focuses on all that Botswana’s two main diamond mines—owned by De Beers and Lucara—do to promote sustainability within a notoriously controversial industry.

“Fast fashion should take a look at Botswana. There are strong female leaders running and working at these companies,” said Firth at a post-screening Q&A hosted by television correspondent Alina Cho and featuring Morgan, De Beers Head of Corporate Affairs Pat Dambe, Lucara Managing Director Naseem Lahri, and Community Liaison Officer Kgalalelo Mokgweetsi.

Firth and Morgan, who previously collaborated on the 2015 fast-fashion documentary The True Cost, were inspired by the ways in which sustainable diamond harvesting has benefited Botswana; the country, which began large-scale diamond production in 1972, was rated the least corrupt in Africa in 2018, and does not currently have a gender wage gap of the sort that plagues many nations (including the U.S.).

Sustainability is a watchword for the Botswana diamond industry, which currently reinvests 80% of every dollar earned back into the community, says Lahri, who was born, raised, and educated in Botswana. “When I wear this ring,” she told the audience, gesturing to the Botswana diamond on her finger, “I know I’ve empowered a child, a community, and Botswana as a whole.”

Although Firth and Morgan spent a relatively short time filming their movie in Botswana last year, they’ve developed a shorthand with the women they met there; Firth laughingly told the audience the story of how she had borrowed a suit from Dambe to meet with the president of Botswana, joking, “That’s true sustainability!” But Firth’s efforts to cultivate a more sustainable fashion industry go far beyond a loaned suit; as the co-founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age and the Green Carpet Challenge, dozens of designers have been coached and guided towards more environmentally-minded business practices.

The guests who mingled with the film’s creators, producers, and central figures last night included Rupert Friend, Aimee Mullins, Zawe Ashton, and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett. The mood may have been festive, but the message was serious, as Firth implored the audience to think about how a more sustainable approach to the manufacture of luxury items could reduce suffering in the developing world.

“In Botswana, I’ve seen a picture of what can happen when businesses operate in partnership with government and civil society, and where long-term investments are made in collaboration with local communities to ensure that the benefits are truly shared with those on the ground,” said Firth, adding, “I came here to look at a single supply chain. I came away from Botswana wondering if this country represents something even bigger—a new vision for doing business and if so, it is certainly something that needs to be protected with integrity and vigilance.”