It was very crowded this morning in the Antwerp ‘Diamond Square Mile’. Belgian actor Kevin Janssens shot his first scenes of the 8-part drama series Diamonds, a compelling family drama with a thrilling crime aroma.

Diamonds is a co-production between Belgian production company De Mensen and the internationally renowned content producer and distributor Keshet International (KI), made for Netflix and Belgian national broadcaster Eén.

Lead role Kevin Janssens plays Noah Wolfson, who returns to Antwerp after turning his back on his family and the ultra-orthodox Jewish way of life. Noah discovers that his brother has brought the once-powerful family business to its knees by trading diamonds with sketchy people. Despite tense relations with his parents, brother and sister, Noah attempts to save the business and restore the family’s honor. It’s the beginning of an escalation of problems that pushes the family deeper into the criminal world.

While Noah struggles with the orthodox way of life, the once so-powerful and strong family Wolfson is completely divided about his return and the future of their diamond company.

Besides Kevin Janssens, the lead roles are played by Ini Massez (Adina Wolfson), Robbie Cleiren (Eli Wolfson), Jeroen Vander Ven (Benny Feldman), Marie Vinck (Gila Wolfson), Els Dottermans (Jo Smets) and several famous Israeli actors, including Dudu Fisher (Ezra Wolfson), Yona Elian (Sarah Wagner) and Mendy Cahan (Speyer).

Pieter Van Huyck, Head of Scripted, De Mensen says,“Creating and starting Diamonds wasn’t an evident plan. We look inside two arenas that are woven with each other but who are unknown to the public: the intense family bonds and life inside the Jewish community and the Diamonds business in Antwerp. This element only makes it a unique series. We are very happy to be where we are now, thanks to our splendid collaboration between our Israeli writers and co-director, and our co-producer KI.”

Kevin Janssens, playing Noah Wolfson, comments, “For years I’ve been living in Antwerp, even in the center of the neighborhood where many Jews are living. And yet I need to confess that I don’t know much about their way of living. It’s such an intriguing and mysterious world. It is a present for me that due to this role, I got the chance to learn the Jewish culture. I’m studying hard and I hope to not disappoint them with my Yiddish.”

Diamonds isn’t just a thrilling mafia-like family story, but will also give viewers a look into the unknown but intriguing world of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. The actors will not only speak Dutch and English but also Yiddish, which demands an intense preparation for the Flemish cast who gets the support of specialists from the Jewish community.

Atar Dekel, KI’s VP of Global Drama, adds, “We are extremely excited and thankful for De Mensen for this unique journey! It’s amazing how well the Belgian and Israeli writing and directing teams have come together to bring this very local but relatable family drama to screen for VRT and Netflix – creatively they really are all speaking the same language. We can’t wait for audiences across the world to fall in love with this show and the Wolfson family.”

Rotem Shamir (internationally successful with Fauda, Line in the Sand, and Hostages) and Cecilia Verheyden (Flemish rising star known for Undercover, Ferry, and Behind The Clouds) will direct the series. Main screenwriter is Yuval Yefet (Line in the Sand, Fauda). Hiskia Van Aert (Undercover, Tabula Rasa, Ferry) and Frédéric Gies are the line producers. Diamonds will be executive produced by De Mensen’s Head of Scripted Pieter Van Huyck and Ivy Vanhaecke (Undercover, Beau Séjour S2) alongside KI’s VP of Global Drama Atar Dekel, KI’s Alon Shtruzman and Keshet Media Group’s Avi Nir.

Cecilia Verheyden, co-director, says, “We’d like to describe this series as The Godfather in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Antwerp. That is obvious for this genre. It is a super thrilling and above all unique story: an industry that was ran for years by one community, isn’t something you see anywhere else in the world. But what attracts me the most, is that it is a family drama, about the relation between brothers and sisters."

Yuval Yefet, screenwriter, adds, “It's fascinating to me to explore the clash between the old-world ways of both the industry and the community, and those of modern-day society. If these legacy institutions decide to accept change, they are at risk to lose the very foundations that made them what they are. The challenge for us was always to find a way to tell the story from the inside out, rather than from an outsider's perspective. We hopefully did it by doing extensive research, and above all focusing the story on the internal struggles of one family and seeing the world through their eyes, without being judgmental.”

The shoot will end in February 2022. Diamonds will be broadcasted on Netflix and Eén.