Angelina Jolie Makes Directorial Debut with 'In The Land of Blood and Honey' Angelina Jolie Makes Directorial Debut with 'In The Land of Blood and Honey' December 08, 2011 7:00 PM Alex Villarreal Email to a Friend Print American movie star Angelina Jolie is making her directorial debut with a film set during Bosnia's civil war in the 1990s. In an exclusive interview with VOA's Bosnian service, Jolie says the message of the film, titled In the Land of Blood and Honey , is one of tolerance and understanding. Angelina Jolie is used to being in front of the camera. But for her latest project, the Academy Award-winning actress stepped behind it... and into the brutality of wartime Bosnia. "The more I learned about it and the more I read about it, the more angry I got about the lack of intervention," Jolie says, "the more emotional I was about the violence against women.

And I wanted to do a film that would help to look into the relationships between not just a couple, but also sisters, and fathers and sons, and mothers and children." Jolie wrote as well as directed In the Land of Blood and Honey. It is a love story between a Muslim woman and a Serb man during Bosnia-Herzogovina's bloody, three-year ethnic conflict. Jolie says she hopes the film sparks discussion about the war and Bosnia's continued struggle since the 1995 peace agreement. "I want people to remember Bosnia, and I want them to remember what happened, and I want them to pay respect to all of the people who survived, and today, to remember that this country still has so much healing to do,” she explains. As a United Nations goodwill ambassador, the mother of six and partner to Brad Pitt often brings her influence as an actress to global issues. But this time is different.

"This film is the first time that these worlds have collided for me," Jolie says, "so this film means more to me than any film I’ve ever made." A film festival in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo honored Jolie earlier this year, despite initial criticism from Bosnian sexual violence victims and a lawsuit alleging she stole plot pieces from a book. She credits her Bosnian cast and war victims, organizations and officials she consulted with the result. "It’s not an American film made about Bosnia. It’s a film made with one American and many Bosnians and many people from the area, and we made it together," she says. In the Land of Blood and Honey opens in U.S. theaters on December 23. It has two versions: one in English, the other in the Bosnian language. Angelina Jolie and Film Crew Threatened over Bosnian War Movie Angelina Jolie and Film Crew Threatened over Bosnian War Movie February 16, 2012 12:25 GMT Angelina Jolie in Sarajevo Angelina Jolie's directorial debut has led to threats of physical violence against the Hollywood star and members of her film crew.

In the Land of Blood and Honey, a raw look at the Bosnian War in the 1990s, opened in Sarajevo, scene of many of the war's atrocities, to mixed reactions with the car window of one member of the production team smashed and threats sent to Jolie. Jolie told the Guardian: "There were things sent to me, there were things posted online. "The cast have never complained to me about these threats but I've heard through other people it was happening. "One of them did have their windows smashed in on their cars and someone else had an issue when their phone was hacked and emails were sent out." The actress said the threats had scared her. Jolie avoided holding the premiere in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and opted instead for the capital of Bosnia. "The physical threats are not what most bothered me because I have been to so many different countries where there are different kinds of threats. "With a film like this, you don't want it to be used as a tool." The film is centred on the relationship between a Serbian police officer and a Muslim artist and how they are affected by the war.

Fifty thousand women were believed to have been raped during the war which claimed 100,000 lives between April 1992 and December 1995. Angelina Jolie's 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' Directorial Debut May Change Her Acting Style | Hollywood Reporter Angelina Jolie's 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' Directorial Debut May Change Her Acting Style 2:26 PM PDT 8/30/2011 by THR Staff Michael Buckner/Getty Images In a new Vanity Fair interview, the actress turned auteur reveals how filmmaking has impacted her life. Angelina Jolie makes her directing debut in the war romance, In the Land of Blood and Honey, a project that has affected her both personally and professionally. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Highest Paid Actresses “I’ve never felt more exposed. My whole career, I’ve hidden behind other people’s words,” she said in Vanity Fair ’s October cover story. “Now it’s me talking.

You feel ridiculous if you get something wrong.” Jolie wrote the script, which is set against the backdrop of the Bosnian Civil War in the 1990s, while laid up with the flu and isolated from her family. Trusting no one else to helm her project, Jolie stepped in to direct the film, casting all unknown local actors and filming in both Serbo-Croation and English. PHOTOS: 10 Billion Dollar Babies: Movies That Have Crossed the 10 Figure Mark “Brad thinks I’m going to be a nightmare,” she joked of how the project would change her acting career. “I had such a good experience he thinks I’m going to be impatient with directors, which I already am. I get impatient with people working on a film that have their head in their hands like it’s the most complicated thing in the world.” In addition to seeking advice from partner and father to her children, Brad Pitt, Jolie also gauged the accuracy of the script with “reporters and writers, people of Serbian and Bosnian nationality who’d been through the war.” “If they said no, I wouldn’t have done it,” she added.

STORY: Angelina Jolie Says She Doesn't Love Acting as Much as She Used to Jolie was recently awarded with the Sarajevo Film Festival’s “Heart of Sarajevo” award in the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she filmed parts of Blood and Honey. She was honored for her humanitarian efforts and “active engagement in the complexities of the real world.” FilmDistrict will release Jolie’s directorial debut to U.S. audiences on Dec. 23. In the Land of Blood and Honey Reviews - Metacritic 10 codfather96 Dec 23, 2011 I shows the war for what it was and glosses over nothing, the cast are fantastic and for a first directorial debut Jolie has done a fantastic job. Sure the love story does get a bit bogged down within the torture being shown but the war is more than a backdrop for the movie, it is its own character. 6 of 18 users found this helpful612 10 EL-Shaby Feb 19, 2012 I just looked at Angelina's film "In the Land of Blood and Honey" and I can say that the movie is fantastic.

Well done Angie, you said everything the way it is ... The international community did nothing to stop genocide and ethnic cleansing, about how the war started, not to mention ... smart and educated people know the truth. As for the rape scene, I was frankly a lot of throwing up babies from six months through the window because she wasI just looked at Angelina's film "In the Land of Blood and Honey" and I can say that the movie is fantastic. Well done Angie, you said everything the way it is ... The international community did nothing to stop genocide and ethnic cleansing, about how the war started, not to mention ... smart and educated people know the truth. As for the rape scene, I was frankly a lot of throwing up babies from six months through the window because she was crying ... The film should look at all those who have passed the war, and especially those who speak of him and discussed, and it did not feel any trace. Congratulations to Angie debut on my behalf and on behalf of all my citizens of Sarajevo! "Unlike a number of smart, who will speak to these days or you do not need to go see a movie, I'll tell you - look at their eyes, hear with their ears.

If you do not know whether it was indeed shown that - I'll tell you, the first person singular, is - everything I saw and experienced his eyes. to you to accept the truth or to entertain false hopes that we do not live in the land of blood and honey ... it hurts, tough, arduous and at times nauseating movie . But even we were on holiday from 92-95. However, some are. and they especially do not recommend the movie because they will be increased pressure and will say - peace, peace, no one to blame. Until next time .... "… Expand 2 of 7 users found this helpful25 9 Jasmine Dec 29, 2011 This movie is intelligent, strongly executed, well-crafted, intense, graphic, and compelling. It is one of the best movies of the year. Jolie did an excellent job for a first time director. I will write a more detailed review later. She was brave for tackling this controversial subject. It is from the victim's point of view and should be viewed circumstantially instead of taking any sides politically or religiously.

Zana Marjanovic gives anThis movie is intelligent, strongly executed, well-crafted, intense, graphic, and compelling. It is one of the best movies of the year. Jolie did an excellent job for a first time director. I will write a more detailed review later. She was brave for tackling this controversial subject. It is from the victim's point of view and should be viewed circumstantially instead of taking any sides politically or religiously. Zana Marjanovic gives an Oscar-worthy performance. It was so heartbreaking. I was horrified, moved, saddened, and even enlightened at times. It was such a powerful and thought-provoking experience. God bless those people affected by the Bosnian War. It also sheds a light on rape was used as weapon in war. It shines a light on atrocities and brings awareness. I decided to contribute to relief efforts in Bosnia and Yugoslavia after watching this film. This is a fine achievement and should be critically acclaimed especially when compared to fluff like The Artist which got high reviews and is incosequential in comparison. This is the type of movie that could have done well at Cannes. It is a shame she has to overcome media corruption, personal misconceptions, and slander.

The nasty comments on Rottentomatoes was really upsetting. Plenty of users gave excellent reviews but the site is just displaying two inflammatory post from her haters who believe lies about her and those type of comments shouldn't even be allowed. You could tell some people were just flaming her and have not seen the film. She is NOT a homewrecker and that bs shouldn't even brought into discussion of the movie anyway. No other actress has to deal with that. That lawsuit had no legitimacy and was based on a false, far-fetched claim but now you have Fanistons bombarding Rottentomatoes & other sites with ugly attacks that have no basis in truth. Those inflammatory comments should not be allowed on that site. I also want to make note of the fact that Peter Travers review for Rolling Stone was labeled positive here but gotten a rotten rating on the tomatometer. He or the other site needs to fix that. The Salon review was also positive here and labeled rotten on the tomatometer. There is a discrepancy. The rottentomatoes site needs to fix this asap!

I really hope by 2012, the ratings will be higher, at around 60% on both sites.… Expand 5 of 13 users found this helpful58 3 Canuckman Feb 24, 2012 Sadly, a very predictable and simplistic film which could have been much more. No surprise the Academy has ignored it. Simple in that all Serbs are "bad" and all Muslims are "victims". Nothing could be further from the truth. That error ends up diluting this film to one of entertainment with no historical context or perspective. Too bad. The fact is that barbarity was endemic on all sides. Especially amongst the Croats who murdered and raped withSadly, a very predictable and simplistic film which could have been much more. No surprise the Academy has ignored it. Simple in that all Serbs are "bad" and all Muslims are "victims". Nothing could be further from the truth. That error ends up diluting this film to one of entertainment with no historical context or perspective. Too bad. The fact is that barbarity was endemic on all sides. Especially amongst the Croats who murdered and raped with the best of them.

the Bosnians were no different.… Expand 4 of 7 users found this helpful43 0 NekaTamo Jul 5, 2016 hahahahah This film is full of **** acting is great,but,film was a disaster.It was really hard to watch.Serbs are bad guys and Muslims are good.It has only one point of view.I don´t recomend this movie. 0 of 0 users found this helpful00 0 kruska Jan 28, 2012 Poor Angelina, been blind for the rape, blood on streets in her own neighborhood, homelessness, poverty , racism, helpless to do anything for her own kind, she goes to a far away country she knows nothing about, to talk about their story.Story she can't understand, less make a movie about. Thus is not surprising that pictures in the movie can't bring anything but brutality, which are not even shocking.

To make great movie you have to have somePoor Angelina, been blind for the rape, blood on streets in her own neighborhood, homelessness, poverty , racism, helpless to do anything for her own kind, she goes to a far away country she knows nothing about, to talk about their story.Story she can't understand, less make a movie about. Thus is not surprising that pictures in the movie can't bring anything but brutality, which are not even shocking. To make great movie you have to have some abilities to be intellectual, educated, wise, mature and she has nothing of that. She is not even a Lady, less close to Lady D , she hopes to be. Balkan people are what they are , be muslim, catholic, orthodox Christians they are the same - in way how they love , hate , relate to each other.

They share the very same genes, blood, names , language and history and they will continue to have hate and love relationships forever, no matter what other people think .… Expand 7 of 15 users found this helpful78 0 bomco011 Jan 26, 2012 Movie made from one sided view, without any desire to understand and explain to the viewers reality and tragedy of all sides involved in that tragic war 9 of 16 users found this helpful97 Angelina Jolie sued over In the Land of Blood and Honey | Film | The Guardian Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie sued over In the Land of Blood and Honey Croatian journalist says Jolie's directorial debut about the Balkan conflict violates the copyright on his book The Soul Shattering A new battle ... Angelina Jolie, who directed In the Land of Blood and Honey, is being sued for alleged copyright infringement.

Photograph: Theo Kingma/Rex Features Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie sued over In the Land of Blood and Honey Croatian journalist says Jolie's directorial debut about the Balkan conflict violates the copyright on his book The Soul Shattering Tuesday 6 December 2011 06.37 EST First published on Tuesday 6 December 2011 06.37 EST Close This article is 5 years old Angelina Jolie's first foray into film directing has not, so far, been bump free. Last year she was forced to defend In the Land of Blood and Honey against angry protestations from Bosnian victims of sexual violence during the Balkan conflict of the 1990s: now she's facing a lawsuit from a Croatian journalist who says her film borrows much of its storyline from his 2007 book. James Braddock, also known as Josip Knezevic, is suing Jolie and producers of her film in the northern district court of Illinois claiming In the Land of Blood and Honey violates the copyright on his book The Soul Shattering.

Both works, he claims, are set in war-torn Bosnia and Herzogovina and feature a main female character who is captured, imprisoned and raped by soldiers, as well as a Serbian camp commander who falls in love with the woman and helps her escape. Futhermore, says Braddock, he met a producer who worked with Jolie to discuss adapting his book into a movie several times in 2007 and 2008, and subsequently kept in touch with him via email and text message over the following two years. Edin Sarkic, the producer in question, is a Bosnian film-maker who reportedly helped Jolie attain permits to film in Sarajevo . He is also named in the suit as a co-defendant. These permits were temporarily withdrawn last year following intervention from Bosnia's Association of Women Victims of War , which attacked Jolie for refusing to meet them to discuss erroneous reports in local media that the film featured scenes in which a Bosnian rape victim falls in love with her Serbian attacker. Permission for the actor to shoot in the country was later restored after Gavrilo Grahovac, the Bosnian culture minister, saw a draft of the screenplay.

In the Land of Blood and Honey was eventually shot mostly in nearby Hungary with a cast of Bosnian and Serbian actors, according to reports. Two versions exist, one in English and another in Serbo-Croat. Sarkic and Jolie have yet to comment on the case. The film is being released in the US later this month, following a New York premiere last night . Angelina Jolie's powerful directorial debut about the Bosnian war – which showed at the Berlin film festival – impresses with its lack of directorial flourishes, writes Andrew Pulver Published: 10 Feb 2012 Angelina Jolie Makes Directorial Debut with 'In The Land of Blood and Honey" - YouTube Angelina Jolie Makes Directorial Debut with 'In The Land of Blood and Honey" Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Dec 9, 2011 American movie star Angelina Jolie is making her directorial debut with a film set during Bosnia's civil war in the 1990s. In an exclusive interview with VOA's Bosnian service, Jolie says the message of the film, titled In the Land of Blood and Honey, is one of tolerance and understanding. Angelina Jolie is used to being in front of the camera. But for her latest project, the Academy Award-winning actress stepped behind it... and into the brutality of wartime Bosnia. "The more I learned about it and the more I read about it, the more angry I got about the lack of intervention," Jolie says, "the more emotional I was about the violence against women. And I wanted to do a film that would help to look into the relationships between not just a couple, but also sisters, and fathers and sons, and mothers and children." Jolie wrote as well as directed In the Land of Blood and Honey. It is a love story between a Muslim woman and a Serb man during Bosnia-Herzogovina's bloody, three-year ethnic conflict.

Jolie says she hopes the film sparks discussion about the war and Bosnia's continued struggle since the 1995 peace agreement. "I want people to remember Bosnia, and I want them to remember what happened, and I want them to pay respect to all of the people who survived, and today, to remember that this country still has so much healing to do," she explains.As a United Nations goodwill ambassador, the mother of six and partner to Brad Pitt often brings her influence as an actress to global issues. But this time is different. "This film is the first time that these worlds have collided for me," Jolie says, "so this film means more to me than any film I've ever made." A film festival in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo honored Jolie earlier this year, despite initial criticism from Bosnian sexual violence victims and a lawsuit alleging she stole plot pieces from a book. She credits her Bosnian cast and war victims, organizations and officials she consulted with the result. "It's not an American film made about Bosnia. It's a film made with one American and many Bosnians and many people from the area, and we made it together," she says. In the Land of Blood and Honey opens in U.S.

theaters on December 23. It has two versions: one in English, the other in the Bosnian language. Category In the Land of Blood and Honey - Buy, Rent, and Watch Movies & TV on Flixster Flixster Audience Score: 47% Flixster User Reviews Carlos Magalhï¿½es It is admirable the dedication of Angeline Jolie to something she believes in so ardently, but even though her movie is well directed and holds a strong impact… More It is admirable the dedication of Angeline Jolie to something she believes in so ardently, but even though her movie is well directed and holds a strong impact in its intended message, the characters are poorly developed and remain a puzzle until the very end. Markus Robinson The Bosnian War: A Love Story? Before I begin, I would like to preface this review by saying that I am in no way an expert on the Bosnian War. So, before I… More The Bosnian War: A Love Story? Before I begin, I would like to preface this review by saying that I am in no way an expert on the Bosnian War.

So, before I receive any hate mail from angry Bosnian's or Serbian's about how I am just a stupid American who is criticizing events that I didn't live through, please realize that I am not criticizing Bosnian's or Serbians or war tactics or cultural differences. My job is to criticize FILMS!!! Angelina Jolie hates Serbians, there I said it! I am joking of course, she loves all races. Angelina Jolie (Salt) receives her first writing and feature film directing credits here in "In the Land of Blood and Honey"; a film that is surprisingly almost entirely in Serbian and Bosnian. There has been some controversy (at least there was for a few months) about this actually being an idea Jolie stole and called her own. But after all is said and done, whether or not she came up with the original idea will be the least controversial aspect to arise from this film. Starring Zana Marjanovic and Goran Kostic, it is not the acting which drags this film down, it is the storyline Jolie chooses to focus on instead of a straight forward war story.

Chronicling the systematic encampment, rape and slaughter of the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) ethnic group during the Bosnian War sounds like some very compelling and powerful material, and "In the Land of Blood and Honey" would have been compelling and powerful, if that was what the movie was about. Instead we get a love story, set in the Bosian War between a high ranking male Bosnian Serb soldier (Kostic) named Danijel and his female Bosniak prisoner (Marjanovic) named Ajla, and a very unsatisfying love story at that. In fact the few instances when the story turns its focus from Ajla to her sister, who has not been captured and is attempting to build a resistance against the Serbs, the film becomes far more interesting and gritty. So much so, that an argument could be made about how Ajla's sister would have made a more realistic and compelling focus for this full length feature film than Ajla herself.

Furthermore, without Ajla's sister's subplot, "In the Land of Blood and Honey" is a war film that only lightly dabbles in the brutality of war for less than a third of the movie and then it's back to the flimsy love story. In the end, Jolie attempts to address the political, brutal and cultural elements that make war so complex, but spends far, far, far too much time telling the remedial Romeo and Juliet love story between Danijel and Ajla. I am not against love stories by any means, but to have an average love story set during a fairly recent war, where genocide, rape, and political cover-ups took place, the love story aspect tends to take away (or dumb down) every other important point the film is attempting to make. This is kind of like having a hardcore love story in "Schindler's List". It just doesn't work. What will undoubtedly anger mass audiences the most: Because of the way Jolie structures her film, the tone inevitably does come off as one sided in the same way the aforementioned "Schindler's List" does. Which in and of itself isn't bad, i.e. Nazi's are horrible people.

But because "In the Land of Blood and Honey" is a far less developed film, the "all Serbian's (except for one) are inherently ruthless and cruel" mentality this film encourages, comes off as unnaturally skewed especially to those (like me) who are unfamiliar with the in-depth events of the Bosnian War. Now I am not saying that the Serbs in this film, who are shown ethnically cleansing a mass group of Muslims, were not horrible people, BUT the way this movie presents an entire race (The Serbs) as irrational and blood-thirsty, could be perceived as quite one sided. And for that reason, I can see many audiences finding this the most off-putting aspect of "In the Land of Blood and Honey". But then again, I am not a critic of wars. Final Thought: I will give Jolie some credit here for manufacturing some brilliant shots (mostly the war scenes) that work to show her talent behind a camera. But much as Jolie tries, it seems as if she knows more about the logistics of a love story than about creating a compelling war film.

Not to say that "In the Land of Blood and Honey" isn't a watchable effort, and does minimally redeem itself in the final two scenes of the film, BUT how this film was nominated for a Golden Globe only proves that the Hollywood Foreign Press will do anything to hang out with big stars. Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland Please visit my page on Examiner.com and leave any comments you have about this or any review. The more hits I get the better. Thank you. Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus Joseph Eastmond Historical Drama, War, Romance Directorial Debut-Angelina Jolie In the land of Blood and Honey is a meticulously, and seriously affecting , hand-crafted… More Historical Drama, War, Romance Directorial Debut-Angelina Jolie In the land of Blood and Honey is a meticulously, and seriously affecting , hand-crafted fictionalized historical war drama that is both intriguing and questioning. A movie that is at times hard to take in, but also at times hard to look away from.

A movie that is so historicaly accurate, and it is unquestionably realilistic that you suspect that Jolie wanted us to feel every ounce of pain, and every once of heartache that was felt and it dares you not go home without a sense of emotional empathy. Jolie didn't just direct this head turning and lip biting movie but she also partly produced it and also wrote it. Factoring in the low budget, and the low key, local actors that were obviously deeply committed to the film, and you wonder if this movie could of been any easier to make. I really believe this was an admirable attempt at making a hard to swallow movie on a(n) emotional, and such a grief strickining subject. As I watched the film I often felt many things. I felt sadness, regret, a deep sense of hate and loathing, and even a mix of anger. 'In the Land of Blood and Honey'is truely compelling, but it is at times jaw dropping and sickingly raw. When any group of people find ways to make excuses for racism, and genocide it is ludicrous.

'In the Land of Blood and Honey' might have fell short of greatness because even though it is hair raising real, and acted with such profound compassion, it leaves many things on the table. I understood the romance and felt for the pain of two people from different backgrounds. It wasn't quite answered though what they were really feeling about each other though and the film continued without letting the audience know anymore about it. As far as this being Jolie's directorial debut, it felt as if Jolie wrote things down and took notes. I thought I was watching a film that was filmed,cut and edited with such precison that I could of easily thought that 'Danny Boyle' directed it. Limited movies, or low budget movies aren't always bad, some might not have enough backing because of the subject matter and I fell as if 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' didn't have enough supporters because of the setting, and becuase of such a touchy plot. Being not just a(n) Angelina Jolie fan, but a connoisseur of historical films, and stories of tragedy and war, I was more then willing to watch it.

This one had a troubled romance added(Dark Blue world 90% had one that caused a rift in a father/son like relationship between two men) Even though the romance is hard to understand,the rest of the movie is understood, and easy to follow. While most people are willing to write of movies(like a girl I know who hated wrestling/boxing movies, but changed her mind with Cinerella Man, and The Fighter,although like me, though the Wrestler 60% was overrated.) I constantly find low budget dramas, movies like Frost/Nixon 90%,Changeling 100%, A Mighty Heart 100%(Ironicly enough the last two starred Jolie), are sometimes better then bigger budget pictures such as The Dark Knight(50%) or even Red Tails(80%)which cost about 250 million to make. 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' has very graphic footage, heartbreaking scenes that disgust, intrigue, and make you think, but more importantly inform you.

"In the land of Blood and Honey' is a film tah shouldn't be viewed by anyone under 17 although if parents accompany or allow children under 17 to watch it is a(n) important film that not only recreates, but demonstrates the harsh reality of hatrid, and genocide, along with the struggles of a romance between two people from different backgrounds. the movie shouldn't be criticzed for what it get's wrong because it is very little. It should however be praised and lauded for what it gets right. It accomplishes so much and with a commited cast and crew 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' is a tense, heartwrenching, and utterly shocking drama that is as emotionaly compelling, and all too realilistic for comfort. 'In the Land of Blood and Honey' is a special film that shouldn't just be written off. It is not quite a great film, but it is very good. For a film like this, very good, is almost as good as great. That is a compliment! Daisy Maduro I just saw the Angelina Jolie's film, In the Land of Blood and Honey, and I must say, I liked it.

The film was at times hard to watch because the scenes… More I just saw the Angelina Jolie's film, In the Land of Blood and Honey, and I must say, I liked it. The film was at times hard to watch because the scenes were intense and very realistic. I heard a lot about this film before I saw it, and it was even nominated in the category best foreign film for Golden Globes, and to tell the truth I was afraid that it would be a disaster, but it was not, it was a film that showed the horrors of war and a lot of rapes and crimes for Muslim people in Bosnia. Many people had heard about those things, you knew it was true, but your brain could not picture it. Angelina Jolie showed two hours of brutal pictures and painful scenes for the viewer. People might criticize her film for being one side story, but the fact remained that these horrors shown in the film took place in Yugoslavia and the whole world knew. The love story was made up, but it gave a different taste which I liked. To see how they were torn apart and how they were dealing with the relationship after they were forced into opposite sides. Not bad at all. Cynthia S.

Here is another fine example of "what the heck were the nay-sayers watching?" This movie was VERY well done. I think Angelina Jolie deserves mega… More Here is another fine example of "what the heck were the nay-sayers watching?" This movie was VERY well done. I think Angelina Jolie deserves mega praise for this story. She is a beautiful and fine actress, but this story shows a great empathy for her fellow man, and a fine-toned intellect, too. It shows the absolute horror of war, and the devastation to human life caught in the middle. No happily ever after ending here, folks....I personally would be very interested in seeing what else Angelina comes up with. She apparently has many talents... Walter M. Before they have a chance to escape, sisters Ajla(Zana Marjanovic), an artist, and Lejla(Vanessa Glodjo) are rounded up by Serbian soldiers. And they are soon… More Before they have a chance to escape, sisters Ajla(Zana Marjanovic), an artist, and Lejla(Vanessa Glodjo) are rounded up by Serbian soldiers. And they are soon separated as Ajla is taken prisoner to an army camp.

To punctuate the soldiers' intent, one of the women is raped in front of the others. Ajla is next but Danijel(Goran Kostic) intercedes on her behalf. It turns out that they briefly dated before the bombs fell and their romance now recommences. Except all good things must end, as Danijel is called to Sarajevo by his father(Rade Serbedzija) and can no longer protect her. So, he shows her how to escape... To its credit, "In the Land of Blood and Honey" is one of the only depictions of the recent genocide in the Balkans as seen from the ground level. The movie hits the right tone that is neither mawkish or exploitative in dramatizing the horrors the rest of world was ignoring. Framing it around a romance like it is here is definitely tricky and risky in the extreme, but first time writer-director Angelina Jolie pulls it off, as these characters were until very recently able to live in peace together and it would therefore seem reasonable that Danijel would have second thoughts about his current actions. Christopher Haskell An extraordinary and unusual love story set to the backdrop of war.

Though Angelina Jolie definitely shows signs of a first time director, the film still comes… More An extraordinary and unusual love story set to the backdrop of war. Though Angelina Jolie definitely shows signs of a first time director, the film still comes from the heart and lures you in with a passion that sets it apart from its kindred. Michael S Everything about this film feels false and inept, even though there is a certain admirable technical proficiency on display. The actors are strong and Jolie… More Everything about this film feels false and inept, even though there is a certain admirable technical proficiency on display. The actors are strong and Jolie certainly has potential behind the lens, but the film is kind of a mess and doesn't do it's subject matter, cast, or crew justice. A thematic misfire sure, but a well made one. Panta Oz This American romantic war drama was written and directed by Angelina Jolie... and all I have to say is: I wish she could stick to acting! She obviously… More This American romantic war drama was written and directed by Angelina Jolie... and all I have to say is: I wish she could stick to acting!

She obviously didn't know too much of the subject and the culture of the region she made a movie about! Actors were using English and it was awkward watching them struggle with the lines which were written by someone who has no clue how to interact between different groups in Bosnia. Even the stars Zana Marjanovi&#263;, Goran Kosti&#263; were out of their place and the only one who could handle this was the veteran of the Balkan film Rade Serbedzija. The story is set in Sarajevo against the back drop of the Bosnian War that tore the Balkan region apart in the 1990s and tells the story of Danijel (Goran Kosti&#263;), a soldier fighting for the Bosnian Serbs, and Ajla (Zana Marjanovi&#263;), a Bosnian Muslim woman he was involved with before the war, and who is now a captive in the camp he oversees. Danijel is serving under his father, a Bosnian Serb army general, when he comes face to face with Ajla again, who is among a group of women forced to be sex slaves for the Serb soldiers...

By the way, if you can imagine ANY war crime committed in ANY country by ANY army on this planet - Angelina managed to show us as a part of the Serbian War Menu! No actual historical support except hatred towards a nation on such a level that most of people watching this will conclude that Serbs must be monsters and Muslim population (or Bosnians as they called these days) have angels between them only. And somehow everyone forgets who actually profited from this war! Serbs... NO... Muslims... NO... Croatians... NO... it is a small group of reach people who were selling weapons, taking factories for few dollars from "provisional" governments on the Balkans... and after that invested them in movies like this - to make them feel good. Angelina is just a piece in a game with not much brain, that's all, and she did play her role well! Of course, Jolie explained the reason she wrote and directed the film was to rekindle attention for the survivors of a war that took place in recent history... In an interview she said she felt a responsibility to learn about the conflict in great detail, adding, "This was, you know, the worst genocide since World War II in Europe ...

What were we all doing? And did we do enough? And why do we not speak about this enough?" Speak, Angelina, but check those facts again! Who made money out of it and why the war started! You'll be surprised by the answers... by the way the premiere after-party of this film was co-sponsored by the US foreign policy think tank Council on Foreign Relations (of which Angelina Jolie is a member) - I think I said enough! One of the critics described this movie as "a United Nations extra-credit project about the Bosnian War" and criticized Jolie for "producing a sanctimonious vanity commercial for her own good intentions". Not sure about the "good" part though in the last sentence... she made something she wanted - and it was bad and filled up with unfulfilled aspirations and stereotypes which are dragging for over two hours. Stay away if possible! Matt Spencer Decent enough film for Angelina Jolie's directorial debut. While the subject matter was distressing (it's based on historical events), I don't… More Decent enough film for Angelina Jolie's directorial debut.

While the subject matter was distressing (it's based on historical events), I don't think it generated enough emotion to really make me feel one way or the other. Serbs Shun Opening Screenings Of Jolie’s Directorial Debut ‘Land Of Blood And Honey’ | Access Hollywood Serbs Shun Opening Screenings Of Jolie’s Directorial Debut ‘Land Of Blood And Honey’ February 24, 2012 1:11 AM PST Serb screenings of Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut have attracted just a handful of viewers, say local media — “more than the movie deserves,” one daily reported Friday. “In the Land of Blood and Honey” — a drama set in the Bosnian war about a Serb soldier who finds his ex-lover, a Muslim woman, among sex slaves in a camp — has triggered mixed emotions in the postwar Balkans. It received a standing ovation in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo, but has sparked outrage among Serbs, who have blasted the movie as propaganda designed to portray them as the 1992-95 Balkan wars’ bad guys.

Serbian newspaper reports Friday described the film’s opening as a “fiasco.” Only 12 people attended the earliest screening in a movie theater in central Belgrade, some of whom left before the end, reports said. “More police were there than viewers,” a cinema employee, who identified himself only as Misha, said. Nationalist Press daily wrote that “the film is so bad that it warrants no reaction.” It added that only five people have turned up for a “ghostly empty” screening in another cinema — “more than the movie deserves,“it said. In stark contrast to Serbia, thousands have so far seen Jolie’s movie in both Croatia and Bosnia. In both countries, Jolie attended red-carpet premieres along with top dignitaries. Tens of thousands of people were killed in the Bosnian war, which pitted the country’s Serbs against Muslims and Croats. Serbs have been widely blamed for most of the atrocities in the conflict, which is considered as Europe’s worst bloodshed since World War II. Copyright ©

Question: """In the Land of Blood and Honey"", set in Sarajevo in the 1990s in the Bosnian war, was the directorial debut of what USA actress?"
Answer: Angelina Jolie