Katie Crocker - Associate Editor
Buzzing with fast cash exchange and “conversations that never happened,” “The Ambassador” follows Danish journalist, Mads Brugger as he goes undercover as a Liberian diplomat to explore the seedy underbelly of the blood diamond trade.
The documentary is frightening and fascinating package, where diplomacy is bought and sold, yet Brugger pulls out a convincing yet comical portrayal of a high powered businessman with a crisp, white suit and a smoking pipe, selling his image with style and fat envelopes of cash. And even though stakes are high, with Brugger admitting we might find him “dead in a ditch” somewhere, he pushes the boundaries, and deftly wields his way through the murky waters of the CAR (Central African Republic) using hidden cameras and secretly filming foreign diplomats who offer sage advice and diamond miners willing to trade blood diamonds for some sustainable cash flow.
“The Ambassador” is a just a glimpse of the corruption and cost of setting up shop in Africa but it’s an enthralling ride that makes it impossible to ignore; this is a documentary you don’t want to miss.
“The Ambassador” is now available on itunes and VOD
