Angelina Jolie gets her film permit back in Bosnia [Updated]

Angelina Jolie has gotten the green light again to film parts of her directorial debut in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The production's permit was pulled Wednesday by the country's culture minister, Gavrilo Grahovac, after a women's group objected to what it said were details of the plot, notably a rumor that in the film a Bosnian rape victim falls in love with her Serbian attacker. Incomplete paperwork was cited as the reason for the red light.

Jolie said Friday in a statement that it would be a shame if "unfair pressure based on wrong information" prevented her crew from shooting the as-yet-untitled film.

With a script and list of locations now in hand, the ministry said it had reversed its decision. The crew, currently at work in Hungary, will begin filming in Sarajevo in November.

"I can now start preparations for the shooting, which I had to stop last week," Edin Sarkic, an executive with the movie's Sarajevo-based Scout Film, said Monday. "It's a big thing for Bosnia that such a mega-mega-star is coming to Sarajevo."

He also called the controversy "unnecessary."

-- Christie D'Zurilla

[Corrected at 11:52 a.m.: An earlier version of this post inverted the nationalities of the rape victim and attacker in recounting the rumored controversial plot point. Thanks to commenter @JP for flagging that embarrassing gaffe.]

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related dispatch from the Ministry of Gossip:

Report: Angelina Jolie forbidden to film in Bosnia

Photos: (top) Angelina Jolie walks with some crew members in Budapest, Hungary, last week during production of her as-yet-untitled directorial debut. Credit: Szabolcs Barakonyi / Getty Images

(bottom) Jolie signs autographs on location in Budapest last Wednesday. Credit: Bea Kallos / MTI / Associated Press

 

Comments

[Mary Ann]

I find it interesting that when the controversy hit, the Times wrote a major article in Calendar. Now that the truth is out, it is on a gossip blog. Maybe articles should be written when the facts are known first.

[cdz from the ministry]

@Mary Ann -- Christie D'Zurilla here from MOG.

This celebrity blog covered the story initially, as did the LAT film blog 24 Frames, while LAT's film team did more extensive reporting for the article you mentioned. Early coverage on this blog doesn't mean you won't see a more extensive story from LAT.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/10/angelina-jolie-bosnia-film-permit-pulled.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/10/can-angelina-jolie-still-shoot-in-bosnia.html

//cdz

[Kassandra]

Our company is headed to Bosnia on the 30th of this month to film a documentary on the widows of the war, follow our blog as we will be posting new information and interviews every day!
Or to help us raise awareness, please "like" our facebook page, "Village of the Forgotten Widows" !! :)

-Kassandra