Angelina Jolie speaks out about women’s rights

LOS ANGELES: Angelina Jolie has introduced ‘ The Breadwinner’, a “very important” animated feature from GKIDS about a young girl living under the Taliban regime, during its US premiere at the inaugural Animation Is Film Festival in Hollywood.

“It’s a story of our times when equal rights for women remain a central burning issue,” said Jolie, who executive produced the film.

She explained that the film “asks you to put ourselves in another person’s shoes – in this case, an 11-year- old Afghan girl. There are few countries in the world where it is so hard to be a young girl … we cannot abandon a country (Afghanistan) and (its) people.”

“It’s about humanity and about love of family,” Jolie added of the movie, emphasising the “care and commitment that (the filmmakers) put into the film to make it so authentic.”

It’s a story of our times when equal rights for women remain a central burning issue. It’s about humanity and about love of family. Angelina Jolie

That theme was also discussed after the screening, which received an enthusiastic standing ovation. On hand for the Q& A were Cartoon Saloon’s Nora Twomey, who directed the film; Saara Chaudry, who voices the film’s protagonist, Parvana; and the film’s composers, Oscar winner Mychael Danna and Emmy nominee Jeff Danna.

‘ The Breadwinner’, based on the young adult novel of the same name written by Deborah Ellis, opens on Nov 17 in North America.