Angelina Jolie Accused of Pilfering Blood and Honey
A Croatian author has filed a lawsuit suit
accusing Angelina Jolie of lifting parts of his 2007 novel for her
writing-directing effort In the Land of Blood and Honey,
basically arguing that the female protagonist in both works is subject
to “being raped continuously by soldiers and officers” before becoming
“a servant at the camp headquarters, a duty assumed by very few of the
captives.” Having seen Blood and Honey, I can tell you this
isn’t even an especially accurate description of the film or the context
of the woman’s servitude, but hey. No such thing as bad publicity, etc.
etc. [Radar]Angelina Jolie Accuser Made Previous Claims Against Another Filmmaker
But a Google search of Knezevic turns up an interesting exchange on You Tune from about four years ago. Knezevic got into a pissing match on the YouTube message board with another filmmaker, Robbie Wright. He claimed that Wright had stolen his work for a video about the Bosnian conflict set to Seal’s record, “Crazy.” But people on the board came to Wright’s defense, and Wright sent Knezevic copies of all his press passes from the Bosnian-Serbian war. He and his followers say all the footage from the video was shot by him.
Here’s the link to that page: http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=mUVJU3uWOuo&page=2
Knezevic has his own YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDSi-sNLvKM
Knezevic has filed his suit under an Americanized name, Joseph J. Braddock, against Jolie, Sarkic, and Graham King’s FilmDistrict.
The lawsuit attempts to establish that contact was made between Braddock and Sarkic, as well as between Sarkic and Brad Pitt’s Make it Right Foundation. Emails and texts could be evidence that Jolie could have been made aware of Braddock’s novel. The suit goes on:
“The similarities between the Subject Work and the Motion Picture are obvious: the Motion Picture copies key plot elements, themes, characters, events, sequences and settings of the Subject Work, including without limitation, the following:
a. The Subject Work illustrates a love story that takes place in war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990’s. The Motion Picture also depicts a love story that takes place in war-torn Bosnia and Herzegovina in the early 1990’s.
b. The Subject Work’s main female character is a Croatian (her mother is a Muslim), living near Sarajevo, who is captured and imprisoned in a Serbian-held concentration camp that was located in a village, which was highly unusual since most camps were located in abandoned industrial or agricultural complexes. The Motion Picture’s main female character is also a Muslim who is captured and imprisoned in a Serbian-held camp that was located in a village, not an abandoned complex.
c. The Subject Work’s main female character is subject to continuous abuse and rape by soldiers and officers in the camp. In addition to being raped continuously by soldiers and officers, she is forced to become a servant at the camp headquarters, a duty assumed by very few of the captives. The Motion Picture’s main female character is also subject to continuous rape by soldiers and officers Case: 1:11-cv-08597 Document #: 1 Filed: 12/02/11 Page 6 of 11 PageID #:6
in the camp and subsequently becomes a servant at camp headquarters.
d. The Subject Work’s main male character is the deputy camp commander. His father is a high-ranking “Greater Serbian” nationalist and important officer of the Yugoslav Peoples Army. The Motion Picture’s main male character is also a camp commander whose father is a high-ranking “Greater Serbian” nationalist and important officer of the Yugoslav Peoples Army.
e. In the Subject Work, the main male character struggles with the polarity of his emotions and his military duty; he loves the main female character but is expected to fulfill his duties as a high-ranking member in the army force. Amidst his struggle, he helps her escape from camp. In the Motion Picture, the main male character also struggles with his love for the main female character and his duties as a high-ranking member of the army force. Like in the Subject Work, the main male character in the Motion Picture helps the main female character escape from the camp.”
What’s interesting about this case: usually people who sue over plagiarism wait until a movie or book has made some money, then swoop in. In this case, the complainant isn’t waiting at all.
Meantime, Jolie’s movie has been mostly ignored in this awards season. Jolie hasn’t helped herself so much by banning press from tonight’s premiere and party–much the same way she had photographers tossed from Namibia years ago, and insisted on reporters signing agreements not to ask her certain questions during the release of “A Mighty Heart.” Oh, Angelina. For a woman who claims to be a diplomat, you’re not very diplomatic.
Angelina Jolie sued for copyright infringement
Author says 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' lifted from his book
A
journalist and author in Croatia has filed a copyright infringement
suit against Angelina Jolie and the producers of the upcoming movie she
directed, "In the Land of Blood and Honey," claiming that the project is
lifted from his book "The Soul Shattering."
James J. Braddock, who lives in Zagreb and covered the Bosnian war,
filed his suit in U.S. District Court in Illinois and is seeking damages
and an injunction preventing the release of the movie. In addition to
Jolie, GK Films, FilmDistrict, Scout Film and producer Edin Sarkic are
named as defendants.
Braddock's book, originally published in 2007 in the native langauge of Croatia, is an account of the tragedies suffered by Bosnian and Herzegovinian women and children during the war there.
He said in his suit that "In the Land of Blood and Honey" "copies key plot elements, themes, characters, events, sequences and settings" of his book. For instance, he points out, both the book and the movie portray a love story during the war in the early 1990s. The book and the film have a main female character, living near Sarajevo, who is captured and held in a Serbian concentration camp located in a village, the suit states. The book and the movie have a main male character who is a camp commander whose father is a high-ranking "Greater Serbian" nationalist and important officer of the Yugoslav People's Army.
Braddock claims that after his book was published, he met with Sarkic at least three times to discuss details of the book, "including plot and character development and the story's culturual significance and historical accuracy." The conversations then evolved into pursuing a movie.
Braddock also says that he contacted LaToya King of the Make It Right Foundation, which gets major support from the Pitt-Jolie Foundation, with the idea of partnering to build houses in Sarejevo and New Orleans and elsewhere. He said that he sent the e-mail to King without knowing that Sarkic was working with Jolie on "In the Land of Blood and Honey."
A spokesman for the producers of the movie could not immediately be reached.
Braddock's book, originally published in 2007 in the native langauge of Croatia, is an account of the tragedies suffered by Bosnian and Herzegovinian women and children during the war there.
He said in his suit that "In the Land of Blood and Honey" "copies key plot elements, themes, characters, events, sequences and settings" of his book. For instance, he points out, both the book and the movie portray a love story during the war in the early 1990s. The book and the film have a main female character, living near Sarajevo, who is captured and held in a Serbian concentration camp located in a village, the suit states. The book and the movie have a main male character who is a camp commander whose father is a high-ranking "Greater Serbian" nationalist and important officer of the Yugoslav People's Army.
Braddock claims that after his book was published, he met with Sarkic at least three times to discuss details of the book, "including plot and character development and the story's culturual significance and historical accuracy." The conversations then evolved into pursuing a movie.
Braddock also says that he contacted LaToya King of the Make It Right Foundation, which gets major support from the Pitt-Jolie Foundation, with the idea of partnering to build houses in Sarejevo and New Orleans and elsewhere. He said that he sent the e-mail to King without knowing that Sarkic was working with Jolie on "In the Land of Blood and Honey."
A spokesman for the producers of the movie could not immediately be reached.
Contact Ted Johnson at
ted.johnson@variety.com
