Salma Hayek: 'Angelina Jolie Probably the Best Director I've Ever Worked With'
With Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek created "Without Blood," a gripping drama about suffering in the wake of conflict. She says, "It was a thrill to suffer that much"
The Oscar-nominated actress for Frida, 55, addresses Jolie, 47, the director of the forthcoming film Without Blood starring Salma Hayek, as "The finest director I've presumably ever worked with. And I had some really excellent colleagues."
Hayek's filmography is full of works by some of the top directors in the industry, including Oliver Stone, Steven Soderbergh, and Chloé Zhao, who won Oscars for their respective films Savages, Traffic, and The Eternals.
Hayek has also collaborated with other influential figures in the business, such as Robert Rodriguez, Julie Taylor, and Ridley Scott (House of Gucci) (Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Desperado and The Faculty).
"I've always admired her as a filmmaker," Hayek continues of Jolie, "but I think this could be her finest, or one of the best." Five feature films have been directed by Jolie, including the 2015 drama By the Sea and the World War II drama Unbroken, both of which she co-wrote with her then-husband Brad Pitt.
Without Blood, which has no set publication date, is based on the Alessandro Barrico book from 2002. According to a statement from the film's production company, Fremantle, "An evocative story set in the aftermath of an unexplained battle, it addresses universal truths about war, pain, memory, and healing."
That is indeed hefty, as Hayek attests. She claims to still be "recovering" from producing the movie, according to PEOPLE. "Making the movie was difficult. Then, for some reason, it was enjoyable to endure such pain [because]...she was surprisingly admirable."
Demián Bichir, who played her co-star in the film, concurred with Hayek, claims the actress: "He was telling me that this project was the most difficult thing he had ever undertaken and that it was also the most intricate. I'm so delighted you say that—I agree with you, I said."
Hayek acknowledges that she thought twice before agreeing to collaborate with Jolie, who she costarred with in the 2021 Marvel film The Eternals. Every time, she says, she wonders whether she is jeopardizing their friendship. And yeah, I now admire her on a whole other level.
But she doesn't mind having a little fun with her pal. As part of the Mexican custom known as la mordida, Jolie plunged Hayek's face into the Desperado actress' birthday cake the previous year. Hayek has not yet returned the favor, stating that she "thought about it, but we were ready to shoot," so Jolie had best keep an eye on her (or face, for that matter). Hayek declares, "I'm going to get her next." "I swear to you."
Without Blood, the movie
With her 2017 film "First They Killed My Father," Angelina Jolie returned to directing after a five-year absence. Her career as a filmmaker has been... intriguing. Despite the fact that none of her films have gained significant critical praise or public recognition, they all carry the impression that Jolie is sincerely enthusiastic about them. After recovering some prominence with parts in films like "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil," "Those Who Wish Me Dead," and "Eternals," Jolie is back to take on an adaptation of the Alessandro Baricco story "Without Blood".
Recently, filming on the movie—which Jolie is also writing, producing, and directing—started in a number of Italian cities, so now is a good moment to let you know what to expect when it is released.
A premiere date has not yet been set because the movie is still in the production stage. What is certain is that Freemantle will release "Without Blood" internationally. The chance of it becoming a theatrical release is still in doubt because that is not a big film studio. Freemantle is largely a television producer, with credits that include "The New Pope" and "Celebrity Family Feud," thus I suppose that if there was a significant distribution on movie screens, they would need to work with another distributor.
Regarding a distribution date, I don't think "Without Blood" would be prepared for the autumn festival circuit, which a little movie like this would likely require to generate some hype. Even if they haven't really capitalized on it, all of Jolie's movies have been discussed for Oscars, and if this one wants to be included, it will require festival support. Therefore, that may be the first festivals of the next year, such as Sundance, Berlin, or, as I'm assuming, Cannes, which will serve as its debut. This is all just conjecture. We just know who possesses the rights at this time. We'll have to wait and see what they do with it.
The cast of "Without Blood" has been confirmed to include two actors, both of whom are highly fascinating choices to lead this picture. Salma Hayek, who previously starred alongside her "Eternals" co-star, plays the protagonist in the movie. She will assume the part of Nina, a lady who was a little girl when she saw her father's horrible death in an unspecified post-war environment. She wants to move on from the incident and seek retribution for it decades later.
Demián Bichir, who was nominated for an Oscar, will co-star with Hayek and is expected to play one of the guys who was present on Nina's horrible day who later re-enters her life. The remaining members of the group will be made up of actors from other countries, most of whom I anticipate will be Italian.
The narrative doesn't specifically take place in Italy, even if the author and the settings are both from that country. "The frequent choice of Spanish names is due only to their melody and is not intended to represent a historic or geographical location of the action," Alessandro Baricco writes at the opening of the book. Although the book opens with a rather peculiar disclaimer, I don't believe Hayek or Bichir will be doing Italian accents.
There aren't many specifics available at the moment, however Jolie expressed her excitement about the project to Variety, saying:
"I'm honored to be here in Italy to bring this extremely special material to the screen, and to have been given the adaptation of Alessandro Baricco's book with its unique poetry, emotion, and perspective on war, as well as the questions it raises about what we look for after trauma, loss, or injustice," said Baricco.
Best Movies Directed by Angelina Jolie
- In the Land of Blood and Honey
2011's movie In the Land of Blood and Honey is a war - romance movie that centers on Danijel, a Serbian soldier, and Ajla, a Bosnian hostage, and is set during the Bosnian War. The two had briefly met prior to the war in a nightclub, but when they are reconnected as the captor and captured, can their newly rekindled love make it? More importantly, can they trust each other?
Although Jolie directed, wrote, and produced this movie, many felt that the tale fell short of their expectations and that the movie did not hold their attention. The link between the lovers and the underlying conflict did not excite viewers, despite the fact that the action scenes were realistic and not over the top. It appears that Jolie took away a valuable lesson from this movie and was able to address these problems in her subsequent productions.
- By the Sea
One of Jolie's newest movies, By the Sea, is unrelated to conflict. In addition to directing the movie, Jolie also plays one of the main characters, wrote the whole screenplay, and is recognized as a producer. For the first time in a Jolie-directed movie, the movie brings Pitt and Jolie back together.
The plot centers on a couple from the romantic era of the 1970s, their deteriorating marriage, and the consequences while staying at a hotel in France. Pitt portrays the exhausted husband who is having trouble composing his next piece, while Jolie portrays the weary wife who develops an obsession with the lady occupying the room next door. Critics have complimented Jolie's portrayal of marriage, particularly after 14 years, but claim that her writing skills prevented the movie from reaching its full potential.
- First They Killed My Father
Based on the lives and experiences of Cambodian novelist and human rights advocate Loung Ung, the war movie First they Killed My Father. Ung describes her life under the terrible Khmer Rouge in the 1970s in the 2017 movie. The Khmer Rouge invasion of Cambodia upended the young Loung's existence and forced her family to relocate from a luxurious life to a labor camp. Her father, a former cop, is slain, making the already difficult family situation worse and forcing them to split up in order to live.
In order to create the screenplay for this Netflix biopic, Jolie collaborated with Loung Ung. The authors of the pair borrowed from Ung's work of the same name. The movie was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award in the Best Film Not in the English Language category. The film's ability to depict the atrocities of the Cambodian genocide as seen through the eyes of children won accolades from critics.
