There’s nothing rough about this diamond
Rough Diamonds is a "warm and gritty cross between Shtisel and The Sopranos", writes Etan Smallman of Netflix’s latest strictly Orthodox drama series
Antwerp has been the Diamond Capital of the World since 1447, proclaims a billboard on a drizzly Belgian street. But the home of the city’s jewel-trading district – and about 15,000 Haredi Jews – has lost its shine.
Former diamond traders have had to find work in the kosher butcher’s. “Nowadays, there are even Jewish plumbers,” quips the owner.
Welcome to Rough Diamonds, Netflix’s latest strictly Orthodox drama series, which launches globally today [April 21], following its premiere last night at a Jewish News screening in Covent Garden and at the Belgian ambassador’s residence in Tel Aviv.
A warm and gritty cross between Shtisel and The Sopranos, the eight-part series is co-produced by Israeli-based Keshet International and Flemish production company De Mensen. It centres on the Wolfson family and its once-glistening diamond empire, both dragged into the criminal underworld after the gambling and illicit trading of prodigal son Yanki leaves them with €1.5 million of debt. Kevin Janssens’ Noah – who had abandoned frumkeit for a life in London 15 years ago – returns to help his sister Adina (Ini Massez) pick up the pieces.
In the background are the hard-pressed local officials chasing Albanian gangs smuggling cash and uncut gems through the 15,000 containers that pass weekly through Antwerp’s seaport – and who now have the Wolfson clan in their sights. A radio headline ominously tells us the city’s sewage has the highest cocaine levels in the world (this was once again confirmed in the real world by European agencies last month).
Then there are Noah’s own seemingly shady business enterprises. His line of work is described vaguely as “shipping” and the first episode is punctuated by calls from an agitated Cockney demanding to know why he has failed to turn up to close a deal as he takes his young son out for his first cholent. And there is a powerful dose of antisemitism after he gets on the wrong side of what is surely to be the first of many Belgian gangsters.
Yes, there are as many pistols as tefillin bags. But the heart of the series, whose characters speak in Flemish and Yiddish with a smattering of English and French, is in the quieter domestic moments. It is around the lavish shabbos table and around the graveside, as family members quibble over their pecking order after the owners of neighbouring plots refuse to be “buried next to a sinner”.
As Adina, the first woman in four generations to become a diamond trader, declares in the first episode: “Mishpokhe iz a shtark zakh” – “Family is a powerful thing.”
The majority of the cast are not Jewish (with Israeli Broadway star Dudu Fisher and actress Yona Elian, as family heads Ezra and Sarah, the key exceptions). But then co-creators Yuval Yefet and Rotem Shamir, who both worked on Israeli Netflix thriller Fauda, are neither Belgian nor Haredi.
The production’s commitment to the buzzword of 21st century television, “authenticity”, means it will probably largely sidestep the conversation around so-called “Jewface”.
Most viewers at last night’s premiere struggled to discern who was of the faith. That must be largely down to the “cultural bible” produced by the series’ Jewish consultants, which covered everything from how to recite Modeh Ani to the nuances of food and clothing.
A Yiddish coach recorded every line of dialogue for the cast to learn. Any pronunciation which was even slightly off was re-recorded in post-production.
Many locals supported the show, including working as extras (the Jewish plumbers line came from a Haredi giving the production team a local tour). In fact, it was the diamond machers – understandably reluctant to be connected with organised crime – who proved hardest to win over, with one initially threatening to write to the Belgian prime minister to get the whole project shut down.
The commitment to portraying the community faithfully helps the series avoid the trap of feeling like it is offering a prurient glimpse behind the curtain of an otherwise hermetically sealed society.
Alongside Amazon Prime’s new thriller, The Power – featuring Eddie Marsan as a London gangster – Jewish crime bosses, played by non-Jewish actors, are clearly the TV flavour of the month. But executive producer Pieter Van Huyck insisted last night that he hopes after half an hour, viewers become so engaged with the characters, they “just see people”.
What they will also see is stunning cinematography, along with a haunting score and a script that will have you bingeing through the night.
There’s nothing rough about this diamond.
- Etan Smallman is a freelance journalist.
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