Angelina Jolie has defended her controversial movie project after she was banned from filming in Bosnia and has urged critics to hold judgment until they have seen the movie.

The Oscar-winning actress has stepped behind the camera for the first time to make her directorial debut with the currently untitled movie that she had planned to film in Bosnian cities of Sarajevo and Zenica, reports contactmusic.com.

However, confusion over the plot has led to the Bosnian government revoking the actress’ production permit.

Campaign groups in the country expressed their anger over rumours that the film will tell the story of a Bosnian woman who falls in love in with her Serbian rapist in the middle of the Bosnian war.

The actress has now spoken out about the furore, refusing to reveal details of the plot but insisting the “sensitive” storyline will be handled appropriately.

“They should hold judgment until they have seen the film. Obviously any dramatic interpretation will always fail those who have had a real experience. This is not a documentary,” said Jolie.

“There are many twists in the plot that address the sensitive nature of the relationship between the main characters and that will be revealed once the film is released,” she added.

Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie, who is debuting as a director with a love story set during the Bosnian war, has roped in Zana Marjanovic as the leading lady.

Marjanovic will play the main character in the project, a love story between a Bosnian woman and a Serbian man, Contactmusic reported.

The 27-year-old confessed she had read the screenplay and believed it was “fabulous”, while also admitting she was excited to work alongside Jolie, who she said was a “great actress and humanist”.

She also confirmed the yet-untitled movie would be shot later this year in Hungary and Bosnia. Jolie, who has also scripted the movie, said that the film will not be political.

“The film is a love story, not a political statement. I would like to involve as many people as possible and learn as much as I can,” Jolie had said.

It was initially believed that Jolie will herself star in the film, but she has since revealed she is keen to cast locals who are familiar with the situation.

The Salt star will next be seen in The Tourist alongside Johnny Depp.

Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie has blamed her vegan diet for “nearly killing” her, saying that she loves to eat red meat.

The Salt star says that when she restricted her diet to not include any animal products, it had negative effects on her health, reported Contactmusic.

“I joke that a big juicy steak is my beauty secret. But seriously, I love red meat. I was a vegan for a long time, and it nearly killed me. I found I was not getting enough nutrition,” said Jolie.

The 35-year-old actress also admitted she enjoys seeing her hands “grow older” as it is a sign of how much she has grown up and matured as a mother to her six children she raises with partner Brad Pitt.

“Happiness is when I look down at my hands and they are washing a baby. I can sort of see my hands grow older and I love it,” she said.

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie enjoyed filming action film Salt especially because of the tough stunts, as motherhood had left her feeling “soft”.

The actress was thrilled to get a chance to do her own stunts in the movie, reports contactmusic.com.

“It was difficult to switch to being an action hero for a minute. But it was so nice to have an excuse to get out of bed and get back in action and not feel so soft with the pregnancy and all that comes with it after,” said Jolie, who shot for car chases, fight scenes and torture sequences for the movie.

Jolie gave birth to twins Knox and Vivienne in July 2008.

Although the 35-year-old star was glad she could do such a challenging role, she occasionally felt the need to be at home with her children.

“I did have a moment where I found myself thinking, ‘I am somebody’s mom, I don’t belong here’. I was on the freeway with somebody chasing me and two weeks before I was at home feeding the babies. I felt like, ‘Oh, they’ve got the wrong person’.”

In addition to Knox and Vivienne, Angelina has four other children – Maddox, eight; Zahara, five; Pax, six; and Shiloh, four – with partner Brad Pitt.

Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie will play Marilyn Monroe opposite George Clooney, who will star as Frank Sinatra in a new film.

The 35-year-old actress is set to play Monroe in an adaptation of Andrew O’Hagan’s The Life And Opinions Of Maf The Dog, And Of His Friend Marilyn Monroe, reported Daily Mail online.

Clooney has been lined up to play Monroe’s close friend Sinatra, O’Hagan confirmed, adding that production on the film would begin soon.

While Scarlett Johansson and Christina Hendricks had previously been in line for the role, it was eventually decided Jolie would be the best choice to play Monroe in the new film.

O’Hagan’s novel tells the story of Monroe’s final two years before her death in 1962 through the eyes of her pet Maltese terrier Maf, a gift from My Way singer Sinatra in 1960.

As well as meeting Monroe’s friends including former US President John F. Kennedy, Maf also accompanied the star to acting classes and restaurants.

When she received the dog from Sinatra, Monroe decided to call it Mafia, a joke reference to Sinatra, before shortening the name to Maf, or Maf Honey.

When Monroe died in August 1962 aged 36, Maf was inherited by Sinatra’s secretary Gloria Lovell.

Twilight actress Kristen Stewart is a huge fan of superstar Angelina Jolie but says that at no cost will she trade places with her.

“I don’t want to be Angelina Jolie. Not that Angelina Jolie isn’t the most talented, beautiful, successful,amazing, admirable person who does good things for the world, but I don’t want to be a movie star like that,” saidthe 20-year-old actress.

Stewart said that she does not enjoy the limelight, despite starring in one of the biggest films of the moment,The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, reported Contactmusic.

“I don’t think there’s anything about being a celebrity that’s desirable. I understand, though, thateverybody’s going to know who you are and what you look like, but why be so obsessive?” she said.

The brunette beauty rumoured to be dating her co-star Robert Pattinson added, “People are in love with you and theydon’t even know you. It can be isolating.”

A former bodyguard of Angelina Jolie has labeled the actress a “self-centered control freak”. “Angelina has a public and a private persona. In my opinion, the real Angelina is self-centred and a control freak. She has no patience at all. She doesn’t do things out of the kindness of her heart. And she’s totally psycho… she screams and yells a lot, then walks away.” contactmusic.com quoted Jolie’s bodyguard Bill as saying. Bill also alleged Jolie, who raises six children with partner Brad Pitt, would take her anger out on her partner and kids.

“She would disappear into her suite for hours leaving the staff and Brad to deal with the children. She would punish them with silence. I think she could be abusive in a mental way.” he added. Angelina doesn’t really trust Pitt and always needs to find out what he’s been up to. ” She’ll call him from the set to interrogate. His face goes white and he just stares at his feet. When Angelina’s yelling becomes unbearable, Brad will put her on speaker and walk away from the phone. Angelina will hang up and continue calling until one of the staff picks up,” the bodyguard further added.

Comedienne JOAN RIVERS has taken aim at Hollywood beauty ANGELINA JOLIE – branding the sexy actress “stupid”.
The outspoken funnywoman used the Tomb Raider star as the centrepiece for her gags while being interviewed on U.K. TV show GMTV.
And Rivers didn’t hold back.
She told reporters, “”Well, I’ve worked with stupid actresses – I’ve worked with Angelina Jolie – she saw a sign that said ‘WET FLOOR’ one time, and she did!”
“I mean she’s attractive, but not a bright girl. Stunningly beautiful but stupid…she would have asked Stevie Wonder, ‘What’s your favourite colour?’”
It’s not the first time Rivers has attacked celebrities on British TV – in June (08) she was asked to leave an interview on U.K. show Loose Women after she called actor Russell Crowe a “f**king s**t”.

The birth mother of Angelina Jolie’s adopted Ethiopian daughter has dismissed reports she wants her child back, insisting she is happy for the Hollywood actress and her boyfriend Brad Pitt to raise her baby. Little Zahara Jolie-Pitt was adopted by the couple in 2005, but reports surfaced last week (ends16Nov07) alleging the paperwork accompanying the adoption was wrong in stating the girl was an orphan – because her mother, Mentewab Dawit Lebiso, is still alive. Lebiso is alleged to have told U.S. magazine In Touch, “I want my daughter to come home to see where she is from.

“Her grandmother and I both tried very hard to raise her, and I want her to come home to regain her identity.” But Lebiso has denied making such comments, and says her words were misinterpreted by “so-called journalists” who claimed to be working for Jolie. She added, “I have never disputed the adoption. It was something I never said. “I have no ill feelings towards her (Jolie). “I think my daughter is a very fortunate human being to be adopted by a world-famous lady. I wish them all the success they both deserve.” The adoption of two-year-old Zahara was ruled legal on Friday (16Nov07) by the agency that first approved it in 2005. Dr Tsegaye Berthe, head of the Wide Horizons for Children Agency slammed the rumours Lebiso wanted the girl back as “media hype by unethical journalists”.

ANGELINA JOLIE was shocked by the amount of violence in her new movie BEOWULF – and can’t believe it can be seen by 12-year-olds. The 32-year-old beauty is in awe of Beowulf’s special effects, but insists she won’t be letting her young children see it because it would be too upsetting.

And she is surprised the movie has been given a 12A certificate in the U.K., allowing children aged 12 to 15 to see the movie if accompanied by a parent or guardian. Speaking at the European premiere of the film in London on Sunday (11Nov07), she says, “It’s remarkable it has the rating it has. It’s quite an extraordinary film, and some of it shocked me.”

Jolie provides the voice of a shape-shifting demon, starring alongside British actor Ray Winstone in Robert Zemeckis’ high-tech adventure, based on the old English poem of the same name.