Writing and directing “In the Land of Blood and Honey” was a labor of love for the socially minded actress
Posted by DannyMiller Wednesday, December 21, 2011 3:59:05 PM
Chatting with Angelina Jolie, she admitted that as a first-time director she was a little timid on the set at the beginning. She’d say “action” or “cut” in such a soft voice that finally some of her actors had to approach her and beg her to speak up. She did, and the results of her efforts are extraordinary. Set against the backdrop of the brutal Bosnian War in the 1990s, Jolie’s film, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” tells the story of Danijel (Goran Kostic), a Serb police officer, and Ajla (Zana Marjanovic), a Bosnian Muslim artist — two people from opposite sides of the ethnic conflict. The film portrays the devastating emotional, moral and physical toll that war takes on individuals and it conveys the dire consequences that can occur when the international community lacks the political will to intervene.
I could not be more impressed with Ms. Jolie’s skills as a writer and director. Attending the L.A. premiere the night before, I had honestly never seen a more attentive audience — you could hear a pin drop during the screening of this taut, suspenseful, and heart-wrenching film. Because of her acting, her crazy early years, her decade-long humanitarian work and the fascination people have about her life with Brad Pitt and their six children, Angelina Jolie has reached a dizzying level of fame that has made her an international superstar. Despite all the drawbacks of being in the public eye to that extent, she has found a way to channel her celebrity into a truly positive force.
As I sat down to talk to Ms. Jolie at a roundtable discussion with three foreign journalists, I told her that as much as I loved the film, I was filled with rage about the perpetrators in the story as well as the world’s initial ambivalence to the genocide that was taking place in Bosnia. I asked her how she hoped people would channel the strong emotions that the film was bound to bring up.
Angelina Jolie: Well, I’m happy you felt that way because that was the intended reaction! We hope that the film inspires people to look into situations going on today and also to learn about history. There’s so much that can be done. I hope that after people see the film maybe they'll want to learn more about this part of the world, maybe they'll want to see what’s still going on there and how they can help because there’s so many people still in need in Bosnia and the unemployment is so extraordinarily high. Maybe they’ll just question what is going on today, what is going on with international law, with international justice? How has justice evolved since World War II? Where are we headed? What tools can we use to press our own governments? So I hope people are just inspired to learn more. Everybody will have their own path in how they do that.
MSN Movies: Do you plan to partner with organizations as the film hits theaters around the world?
Yes, there are many organizations and NGOs that we’ll link to through our website, so we’ll use that as a networking tool. We’ve interviewed a lot of people from all sides — we’ve been showing the film to people who are on the political side of the war, to victims of the war, to women who run various associations related to the genocide, and we’re getting all of them to tell their stories.
Do you think there’s still some kind of disconnect about the war with a lot of people over there?
There is. It’s so fresh — we forget that sometimes. I did when I was first writing the script, and then all these sensitivities come up and you realize it’s only been 15 years. There are some great people who speak out, but most of the time people simply do not want to talk about it. Sometimes I feel it’s part of their way of protecting themselves — not wanting to remember, not wanting to think about it, they just want it to be gone because they were so traumatized. But they must talk in order to move on and to make sure they’re making the right choices for the next generation.
But you can’t push people too hard. I remember when I first started asking the actors about their background, because it was very important to me that people in certain roles were actually of that background. When I’d interview them and say, “What’s your background?” they’d say, “I’m Yugoslavian!” And you know, it’s rude to say, “Are you of Serb nationality, are you Muslim?” That’s considered very rude and it’s beautiful that it’s rude because what they’re saying is we don’t want to be separated. Now people also divide them by religion on government forms. One of our cast members said that he’s Catholic and some official said, “Okay, so you’re a Croation.” And he said, “No, I’m not Croatian, I was born in Bosnia, I’m Bosnian!” And the official said, “No, you’re Croatian,” and wrote “Croatian” on his paperwork. Our lead actress isn’t even a box, she’s “Other.” It’s like this bizarre thing that’s been done to these people and their identities and yet, if you see them together they say, “We’re all the same, we all speak the same language, we all grew up the same!”
There’s a line in the film, “How can people kill so easily?” What did you learn about how people who seem so peaceful, who are neighbors, could turn around and be so brutal to each other?
You cannot make sense of it, this kind of brutality. In the script I tried to look at the different sides. There is the father who represents somebody who was shaped by the the past, because of the way he was raised, because of what happened to his family, his feelings of ownership of the country, the blood of his grandfathers. He holds all this in his heart, it’s part of who he is. So that’s some people’s journey, and other people’s journey is about the pressure of everybody around them and the way that they feel they’re under attack. I’ve never lived in this type of situation. If I stay somewhere I might hear bombs for two days and then I can leave, but when you hear it constantly, year after year after year, and you never know when it’s going to hit you, you never know if you’re going to be the next one to be chosen to be raped — what does that do to people? How does it change them?
When I wrote the film, I questioned what it would take for me. I could say today that I would never turn against anyone like that but if somebody kills someone in my family, if somebody rapes me or my friend, if somebody attacks me, sooner or later, something is going to change. I would hope I could hold onto my humanity, I would hope that I’d be strong. All of the actors who worked on this film, they maintain a desire for unity and an openness to each other that is beautiful because they know the dangers of not having that, and the importance of working toward a peaceful future because they do not want their children to suffer through war. But how can someone kill so easily? That’s what the film questions, but it doesn’t have an answer.
Can you say something about the consultation provided by General Wesley Clark? I know he was involved in the war in Bosnia and the peace negotiations, but why did you reach out to him in particular and what kind of direction and advice did he provide?
I wanted to hear from people from all sides. When I asked Wesley, I was very impressed that he didn’t look at the script and say, “There isn’t enough about what we were trying to do in the negotiations.” It was a very complicated situation but there was no push on his side to say, “We should be seen as heroes,” or “You should be clear that we’ve gotten all the bad guys!” There was none of that, he just reminded us that this is a very sensitive region and to approach it carefully and thoughtfully from all sides. It was the same when I showed the script to Richard Holbrooke. He’s not mentioned in the script but he didn’t say, “Why didn't you cover the Dayton Accords?” President Clinton has not seen it yet but I’ve warned him! (Laughs.) I think people understand that this is not a film about America and American intervention. It’s one of the first films, I think, from an outsider that’s not about outsiders — it’s about the people on the inside.
How do you explain war to your kids? Is that something you want them to understand at this point in their lives or do you try to keep it away from them?
Oh, no, my kids are very aware. We go to visit a project we have in Cambodia often. We’ve had 48 landmines on the property — it was the last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge so we have bunkers on our property. Some of my children are from countries that were in war and their birth parents probably suffered through war so it is a very open discussion in our house. We want them to know the ugly side of war, we don’t want them to think it’s a fun video game, so we make them aware. When I go to these different countries, we tell them why so they’re quite educated about it.
Was it clear for you from the beginning that you would write your own script for your directorial debut?
You know, I never actually wanted to be a director! I’ve been asked before and I always said no quite adamantly. I had no desire. I wrote this script never planning to show it to anybody. I was very frustrated just in my last 10 years of traveling and being in post-conflict situations, working with refugees and seeing people traumatized. I wanted to write a story about what can happen to decent people — what takes place where suddenly they lose their humanity and they start to behave in a manner that just seems impossible to understand? And this conflict in particular, how is it possible for neighbors to turn against neighbors? I felt to understand that psychology could help somehow in these post-conflict situations, and it was just something I wanted to study. And then the script sat on my desk for a while until Brad looked at it and said, “It’s not so bad, maybe you should show it to someone!”
Was the experience of directing different from what you expected?
I didn’t know how much I would love it! I really enjoyed being with the crew, I really enjoyed not going into hair and makeup and not having to be in front of the camera! I loved having an actress and shining the spotlight on her, and she was the movie star, and I got to be the one with the grips and the sound guy in the corner with the coffee. Directing made me see film in a different way, and I really think so highly of these actors that it was a pleasure to witness their work and be able to show their work to the world. I really loved it.
What’s next for you?
I finished a script on Afghanistan that deals with Afghan women and American soldiers. I visit a lot of American soldiers in hospitals and I’m very moved by the women there and was shocked by what I learned about what women are up against in war and how they’re not considered “in combat” even though they’re dying in combat and what’s happening to them when it comes to sexual violence as well. Afghanistan has done something very interesting. Because of the oppression of women in that country, our women have had to take a bigger role because only our women are allowed near their women, so it’s something I wanted to study. But I haven’t shown the script to anyone yet!
I’ve been nervous to get this film out. I’ve been looking at different things to do next, but even Brad was saying that this movie has weighed so heavily on me — I’ve been nervous about the research of it and the politics of it. I think now my family would just like me to do something fun so I would not be so crazy at home!
The women of Jolie’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey” appreciated the passion of the first-time director
Posted by DannyMiller Friday, December 23, 2011 4:53:59 PM
When I spoke with Angelina Jolie last week about her new film, “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” she said how happy she was to be behind the camera for a change, to be able to shine the spotlight on other actresses and show them to the world. The two women Jolie directed, Zana Marjanovic (above right, at the film's L.A. premiere) and Vanesa Glodjo (above center) provided Jolie with powerful, devastating, and emotionally resonant performances. Marjanovic and Glodjo play sisters in the film. As the brutal war in Bosnia takes hold, each experiences a variety of traumatic and life-shattering events.
In a roundtable discussion with the two gifted actresses, we talked about the huge responsibility they felt when they took on these roles. Both of the women were born in Sarajevo and live there today.
Zana Marjanovic: All of this did happen, it’s recent history, it’s my personal history, and it’s about my country, so I couldn’t fail, I couldn’t make a mistake. I’m representing people whose true story is somewhere in the film. It’s a big responsibility.
Vanesa Glodjo: For me it was a cathartic experience to make this movie, and very challenging as an actress. I was preparing all the time, precisely because of the responsibility of representing those who actually lived it. It’s huge, this violence that was done to us. I felt like I had a moral responsibility to get it right.
Zana: It was only much later on that I remember thinking about what a wonderful role this was to play! There aren’t so many amazing female roles written these days, period. This was such an incredible opportunity, it’s going to be hard for me to do anything after it! I’m going to be so demanding, wanting all these different layers, and all these different relationships, it was really quite amazing.
MSN Movies: Is it true that when you were auditioning for the film, you didn’t know that Angelina Jolie was involved?
Zana: Yes, which was very good, I think.
Vanesa: We just knew it was a foreigner. The whole organization was a bit too prepared for our Bosnian-style! (Both laugh.)
Do you think a movie like this had to be done by a foreigner?
Vanesa: Well, it has been done by Bosnians in the past, but I think the whole thing is very sensitive—the war, the politics. What is fantastic about Angelina is that she looked at both sides which is what I adored about the script, that’ s why I find this film so unique. As a woman, and as someone so talented, she really went into the subject through us, through the people in the cast, that’s why she needed actors from the area. That’s very important because she really counted on us. Being an American but also a UN Ambassador, I think she had a great perspective, better than what you hear from most journalists. It’s what makes this film so unique because Angelina is so informed.
Who did you talk to as you were doing your research for the film?
Zana: First, my family. I was eight years old when the war started so I wanted to hear their stories, their opinions. I think they’re pretty objective since we are a mixed family—we’re true Bosnians in that way—and also victims of war. There was also a woman who is a very dear friend of mine who inspired me and helped me portray this character so truthfully. She taught me two things about her experiences during the war. First, that she was not a victim, she’s a survivor, and second, just how afraid she was all the time, to never forget how terrified she was just hearing footsteps, just hearing her name called, because it meant she could be taken to a room and raped. Every time a door opened, you thought they were coming to get you. The dimensions of that kind of fear are huge.
Where were you during the war?
Vanesa: I was right in the middle of it. I was 17. At first we thought it would only last a few days or weeks and then it lasted longer and longer. So yeah, I witnessed many things, being on the front line, I saw many things happen, days when there were many bodies in the street. They would shoot at us all the time, that was the most horrible thing about this war—we were like rabbits. We were exposed to that constantly, the shooting, you learned to just not go out.
Was it hard for people on the set to re-live some of your war-time experiences?
Vanesa: Actually, yes, it was surprisingly hard, because we didn’t speak much about it before. I was very surprised, all sorts of emotions came up, the bad and the good. I remember there was a road I used to use every day to go to school and I was constantly exposed to snipers. You have to live through that fear to know what it’s like. And then, for a short time, we had a ceasefire. I remember being on this road again and I just started laughing and laughing. I can’t even explain the emotion I was feeling, like I was finally having a moment of relief from all the tension I didn’t even know I had on this road.
Have your families seen the film?
Zana: Yes, my family came to the New York premiere. I was sitting next to my boyfriend and at one point he just started moving a lot in his chair. My first selfish thought was, “Hey, what are you doing? I’m trying to watch this film and you’re making all that noise with the chair!” but as soon as I had that thought I remembered that he was one of those people in the war who for years had no electricity and no water. He was shot by snipers, his father died in the war, his mother was a pediatric surgeon who saw all these little children die because they were shot. And then I thought, “Okay, what is my father thinking right now, what is my mother thinking?“ I can’t imagine what the emotions are going to be when we see the film in Bosnia, I really can’t imagine it. With just a few of us in the theater in New York, it was so strong.
What is life like in Bosnia these days? Can people go back to the lives they were leading before the war?
Vanesa: We are trying to, we are doing are best, but no, not yet. That’s what this film is for, that’s what I hope it will do—bring back the dialogue. We need to finally talk about it and bring some closure to this subject.
Zana: It’s especially sad for my mother’s generation—she was in her 30s, she was having a wonderful career, she had a daughter, she had a husband, she had a very beautiful life, but she told me that she’ll never have that feeling of “home” again, that it’s gone for her forever. She also said she’ll never take peace for granted again wherever she is. What I really appreciate about this film is that you see a little of what life was like before the war, scenes with the two sisters, and the audience can relate, they can think “I could be this man” or “I could be this woman, these people are not any different from us.” This film has already opened so many eyes.
Vanesa: We were raised together, all of us, the different ethnic groups. Now everyone tries to separate us. There is nothing more precious like you guys have here in America, the mixture of cultures, that’s what we wish for us, just to move on.
“In the Land of Blood and Honey” opened today in New York and Los Angeles and will be released in select cities nationwide beginning in January.
