10 Questions for Angelina Jolie

The first movie you’ve written and directed, In the Land of Blood and Honey, is about the Bosnian war. Was this an artistic or advocacy choice?
I hesitate with the word advocacy. I just wanted to understand what happened in the former Yugoslavia. I’ve always felt the responsibility, since it was my generation. I thought I’d use writing this script as an excuse to do research. It sat on my desk for a little while until Brad picked it up and read it. And he said, “You know, honey, this is really not that bad. It’s kind of good.”

He couldn’t come up with anything kinder?
He actually said something much nicer, but I paraphrase to not flatter myself. He wrote me a very nice note, and then we talked about it at length, and then we went back to the region together, and I just kept meeting people. Could we get Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims in the same room, working together? Can they agree on a piece of art? Is this the impossible act?

It’s a bit of a grim movie. Is that because of the war, or is it your style?
I don’t know if I have a style. To be honest, there were quite a few things that were harder to watch that we cut. I think some of them made the DVD that just came out. I put in the film what I had heard firsthand accounts about.

Somebody told you that Serbs threw a baby off a balcony and made old ladies strip so they could laugh at them?
Well, no, but babies were killed. The ladies’ having to strip was a firsthand account of a victim of war that I met. And by the way, all the things as described were worse.

Do the unglamorous sex scenes reflect your experiences acting in scenes like that?
The ones I’ve done in my life — not my style. If you’re going to do it, it should feel real. When a woman’s in the room with her lover, she’s not in a perfect pose or covered by a sheet.

Your movie is critical of the West for not intervening sooner in Bosnia. Are you more in favor of boots on the ground?
I believe that the way the Security Council uses the veto should be questioned. There is something amiss when so many countries want to intervene and the one or two that have a financial interest want to stop the intervention.

You’re a frequent guest at the International Criminal Court. What did you think of the Kony 2012 campaign?
I believe that group’s intention is pure. And I think it’s very inspiring that so many young people were so moved. If people are more drawn to this than to something that is more shallow, then we have to see that as a positive.

You have sold photos of your kids to raise money for charity. Is this getting tricky as your children get older?
That was only their birth pictures. There are people who assume, because they see one picture, that they know everything about your personal life. I’m very private.

The Internet says your next project is to get married, with your brother as the celebrant. True?
Maybe I should read these things more often. They sound highly entertaining. No, I’m not. My next project is a Disney movie, and I’m playing a villain. I get to tell a great story, but I also get to wear giant horns.

There’s a new word: Joliening. It means to strike a pose as you did at the Oscars, with one leg out. Heard of it?
No. It’s funny. That was actually the backup dress. I decided to go for the one that was less attention-grabbing.

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