‘We were all together presenting something that we felt represented a part of history,’ first-time director/screenwriter tells MTV News. By Kara Warner Angelina Jolie on the set of “In the Land of Blood and Honey” Photo: Ken Regan / GK Films In selecting a subject for her screenwriting and directorial debut, Angelina Jolie did not choose an easy one. While some first-time directors might have gone with a romantic comedy, small-scale film or mainstream subject to tackle, Jolie’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey” is a harrowing, unrelenting drama set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War that highlights the horrors of the ethnic conflict that has occurred far too often throughout history. The film revolves around the relationship between two Bosnians on opposite sides of the conflict, Danijel ( Goran Kostic ) and Ajla ( Zana Marjanovic ) and the devastating toll the war has on their lives. When MTV News caught up with Jolie, Kostic and Marjanovic recently, we asked what aspects they were able to enjoy during the filmmaking process, since so much of the work required of the cast and crew was intense and emotional. “When we were in New York [at the premiere], and we were all together presenting something that we felt represented a part of history and brought dialogue, we were together and we were a family, and I was extremely moved by that,” Jolie said. “That was the best moment.” Jolie tapped into “something that is very personal and very private and very fixed to the region,” said Kostic, a Bosnian Serb who experienced the conflict firsthand. “This [story] could be applied to that region, but equally can be applied worldwide.” Marjanovic, a Bosnian Muslim, recounted her favorite moment being her childhood friend’s reaction to seeing the film for the first time. “Her reaction was so interesting, because she came up and said, ‘I never really understood what it was about … it’s all so confusing, such a complicated area and region, and for the first time, I actually understood what was going on,’ ” Marjanovic recalled. Check out everything we’ve got on “In the Land of Blood and Honey.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
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Angelina Jolie Calls ‘Blood And Honey’ Crew A ‘Family’
