What's behind the shocking viral image of Angelina Jolie
The actress covered her body with insects for 18 minutes and hit the net. Find out why.
In the last hours, the image of Angelina Jolie with her face and part of her chest covered with bees went viral. For many it was confusing; however, it is all due to an awareness campaign.
The 45-year-old "Maleficent" star covered herself in bees for an eye-catching National Geographic portrait to raise awareness of World Bee Day on Thursday.
A video posted on the magazine's Instagram page showed the dangerous insects crawling all over Jolie's chest, neck, and even face, though she appeared completely unflappable.
The Oscar winner was recently named a sponsor of Women for Bees, a five-year program launched by Guerlain and UNESCO that will help train and support 50 beekeepers around the world. As part of her new role, she will participate in a 30-day program in Provence (France), where she plans to train in beekeeping as well.
Jolie revealed in an accompanying interview that her six children are "much more informed" about the environment than she was at her age. "Listen, it's about her generation," she explained. "We are on the tightrope. The decisions that are made and the things that we do in the next 10 or 20 years are going to make or break the way we can live on this planet. Sadly, they know it. It is very hard for them. I cannot imagine being a little boy again. If the Earth could exist in the same way, and if there will be bees and pollination, it was not something I thought about at 12 years old, "he said.
What did Angelina Jolia have to do so that the bees do not sting her
"Everyone on set except Angelina had to be in a protective suit," explained photographer Dan Winters in the caption for the post. "It had to be quiet and dark enough to keep the bees calm." And he added: "Angelina kept perfectly still, covered in bees for 18 minutes without being stung."
"It felt great to be connected with these beautiful creatures," Angelina told National Geographic. "I think part of the idea behind her was that this creature looks dangerous or itchy at times. So how can we be with her?"
Jolie explained that there are two types of bees: "wild and solitary or domestic and bees." When asked what type she would be, she joked, "I feel like I've been a lot of a house bee lately, but in my heart, I'm a lonely savage."
To achieve this striking image, the Lara Croft actress said that she was unable to shower for three days prior. "It was a lot of fun getting your hair done and makeup and cleansing with pheromones," she said. "We couldn't take a shower for three days before. Because they told me, 'If you have all these different scents, shampoos and perfumes and things, the bee doesn't know what you are.' So you put some things in your nose and ears so you don't give them so many holes to get into. "
"I had one that got under my dress the whole time. It was like one of those old comedies. I felt it on my knee, on my leg, and then I thought, 'Oh, this is the worst place to get bitten'" , said.
The UN established World Bee Day to raise awareness of the extinction threat faced by bees around the world. The extinction rates of bees are between 100 and 1,000 times higher than normal, according to the UN website.
Capturing the moment, photographer Dan Winters was inspired by Richard Avedon's portrait "The Beekeeper." He used the same pheromone scent that Avedon used to capture the 1981 photo of him with Jolie.
