Al Jazeera - Sapphire Fever

In this documentary for Al Jazeera's People and Power programme, Producer Jasleen Kaur Sethi and Director David Notman Watt explore Ilakaka's sapphire mines, which are said to produce 50% of the world's sapphires.

We explored an industry that draws people from all over the world, often offering more in terms of risks than rewards, met families struggling to survive and went on patrol with a informal night militia armed with machetes who claim to keep the streets safe from bandits but are accused of violence and intimidation themselves.


Part 1


Part 2