Mike Fleming

Angelina Jolie’s much-discussed feature directing debut now has a title and a distributor. Graham King and his GK Films partner Tim Headington, who financed it, have placed it with their FilmDistrict shingle. FilmDistrict CEO Peter Schlessel will slot  In The Land Of Blood And Honey, the Bosnia-set drama that Jolie scripted, for a Dec. 23 release in the US. The film is set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War in the 1990s and, according to a statement, “illustrates the consequences of the lack of political will to intervene in a society stricken with conflict. “The film is specific to the Bosnian War, but it’s also universal,” Jolie said in a statement. “I wanted to tell a story of how human relationships and behavior are deeply affected by living inside a war.” Said King: “Working with Angelina on this film and story has been a great collaboration and I am extremely proud of this film. The filmmaking is impeccable, and signals the arrival of a visceral and compelling storyteller.”

Jolie doesn’t appear in the film, and the cast is comprised of locals, many of whom were children of the war. Jolie shot the film simultaneously in English and their native language, which was called Serbo-Croatian and is now referred to as BHS. Zana Marjanovic, Goran Kostic and Rade Serbedzija star.

“The former Yugoslavia has a rich history of dramatic arts. The cast was extraordinary. I was privileged and honored to work with them, and I am very excited for everyone to see their immense talent,” adds Jolie.