Exclusive-Angelina Jolie: "Without Cambodia, I would never have become a mother"
In her new film, she features a family decimated by the Khmer Rouge. Angelina Jolie receives us exclusively.
You made a wonderful film, but it’s strange for an American woman to want to do justice to a people who are not her own.
I owe everything to Cambodia. I fell in love with this country while filming “Tomb Raider”. Before leaving, I was told about all the horrors that these people had experienced. I thought I would find sad and angry people, I met generous and caring people. The complete opposite of Hollywood, which is selfishness and whose only values are money and fame. I suddenly realized that I didn't want to look like my peers at any cost. This country has totally changed me by making me more humble. He made me wonder about myself, about others, he brought me the peace I so badly needed. And, in 2002, I adopted Maddox who was an orphan. Without Cambodia, I might never have become a mother. (...)
It feels like you spend your life between two planes. How are you doing for the education of your children?
I would like my children to be citizens of the world, to feel good everywhere and to respect others. For me, education is immersion in reality. Shiloh is learning Cambodian; Maddox, German, Russian and Korean; Vivienne, Arabic. They are schooled either at home or wherever they are, and everything is going very well. While filming in Cambodia, I brought in their regular teacher as well as other local teachers. Children joined them. We built a very pretty school in a wooden bungalow, in the middle of the rice fields. When Maddox and Pax had finished their homework, they joined me on the set. The hardest part in this life is packing! A real military operation. Still missing a pair of socks. But I have become an expert in the matter! At their age, I found my world too small. I would have dreamed of living an existence like theirs. (...)
How do you see your future?
I have just had a very difficult year. My children needed me at home. For a year, apart from my humanitarian work, I have devoted myself entirely to them. I'm not complaining, I love my role as a mother. When they want me to go back to work, we'll hit the road together. At the moment, I do my best to keep my balance. Yes, it's hard to be alone. I never thought I would get to where I am today. I imagined a very different future. All human beings, at one time or another, have hoped that things would turn out differently. All that matters to me today, when I wake up, is knowing that my children are happy and healthy. As for me, I keep my fingers crossed to continue doing well despite the hustle and bustle of recent months ...
