Angelina Jolie the Filmmaker by Genice Phillips l Angelina Jolie l Angelina Jolie Director l Angelina Jolie Movies Directed l Unbroken l The Land of Blood and Honey

The Land of Blood and Honey

An entangled love story set during the Bosnian War, “The Land of Blood and Honey” was not only directed by the star, but also written and produced by her.
In a past interview with international journalist Christiane Amanpour, Angelina described how personal it was to write the script.

“The writing is the hardest because it feels the most exposed; feels the most private.”

Bringing an authenticity to story, Angelina shot the film in Hungary and Bosnia, and used a local cast, most of who were personally affected by the war. The film was also presented in two versions – one in the English language, and a local version, where the actors spoke in their first language (Bosnian).

In 2012, The film won an NAACP Image award for Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture.

Unbroken

“Unbroken” is a heroic, defiant tale that chronicles the life of Louis Zamperini. Taking almost 60 years to get the project off the ground (Universal Pictures bought his life rights in 1957), Angelina saw its’ potential and dove to direct the film.

The film captures the life story of Mr. Zamperini, played by actor Jack O’Connell, who suffered through many obstacles, one being a prisoner of war during World War II, and yet, endured tremendous odds.

In a recent New York Times article, Angelina explains her intentions on directing “Unbroken” and what she wants people to take away from the film.

“I didn’t want to put a movie out where people are just reminded of the struggles of human nature,” she explains. “I wanted them to be reminded of that thing inside of all of us; that rises up against these obstacles. That’s what Louie preached, to help in those dark hours to remember.”