Angelina Jolie Pitt Working on 'The Breadwinner' & 'First They Killed My Father', A Memoir By Loung Ung

The Hollywood Reporter shares news that Angelina Jolie Pitt will executive produce the animated film ‘The Breadwinner’, a story of a young girl living as a boy under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

The film is an adaptation of Deborah Ellis’ young adult novel and will be directed by Nora Twomey from a screen story by Ellis and screenplay by Anita Doron.

The story’s heroine Parvana disguises herself as a boy to become her family’s breadwinner after her father is imprisoned unfairly. The film, which also focuses on the culture and beauty of Afghanistan, will be produced in English and in Dari.

“Millions of young girls like Parvana are growing up today under oppression or conflict, and helping their families to survive in those conditions. This story is a reminder of the immense value of their contribution,” Jolie Pitt said in a statement. “I am delighted to be working with a talented team of artists who I know will do justice to the richness, creativity and strength of Afghan culture and to little girls like Parvana.”

Angelina Jolie-Pitt Makes Cambodian Film for Netflix

Jolie-Pitt is currently working on a film for Netflix called ‘First They Killed My Father’. The actor and director is adapting the memoir of Loung Ung, a Cambodian author and human rights activist, who survived the Khmer Rouge regime. Jolie-Pitt has co-written the screen adaptation with Ung and will product as well as direct the film.

Jolie Pitt said she decided to partner with Netflix because of the streaming service’s global reach. “Films like this are hard to watch but important to see,” she said. “They are also hard to get made. Netflix is making this possible, and I am looking forward to working with them and excited that the film will reach so many people.” The film will be released in both Khmer and English.

“We are proud to be with with Angelina Jolie in brining this emotionally powerful and ultimately uplifting story exclusively to Netflix members around the world,” Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos commented. “Loung Ung’s incredible journey is a testament to the human spirit and its ability to transcend even the toughest circumstances.”

Ung is currently writing her first novel and is a co-owner of Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1995, she has made more than 30 trips back to Cambodia, helping her native land recover from the traumas of war. Her other works include Lucky Child and Lulu in the Sky. She was also a contributing writer on the 2013 film Girl Rising, which told the stories of different girls from different parts of the world.

“Angelina and I met in 2001 in Cambodia, and immediately, I trusted Angelina’s heart,” commented Ung. “Through the years, we have become close friends, and my admiration for Angelina as a woman, a mother, a filmmaker and a humanitarian has only grown. It is with great honor that I entrust my family’s story to Angelina to adapt into a film.”