But can she direct? Angelina Jolie tackles Bosnian-Serb romance

By Sarah Sluis

Let's be honest. No good deed goes unpunished, and it's easy to question the motivation of every celebrity on an international goodwill trip taking a photo op with a local baby (Is this a good time to bring up the time Lindsay Lohan did some kind of documentary in India?). Angelina Jolie, however, has shown herself committed to her role as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and adopted several children from around

the world. Her latest project will see her in the director's seat helming a love story between a Bosnian and Serbian set during the war between the two factions.

Jolie reportedly visits the area regularly in her capacity as a goodwill ambassador. She will not only direct the film, it also seems that she wrote it! I'm a little skeptical of this, if only because she is a working actress, is constantly seen traveling the world with her gaggle of kids, and has a pretty packed film resume. Surely she had some help?

The cast is led by Zana Marjanovic, an actress known for her role in the Bosnian film Snow, Nikola Djuricko, and Rade Serbedzija. All of these actors come from the region, a casting choice made by Jolie. Filming will start late this year, which means maybe the movie will hit the festival circuit in 2011?

Whenever actors branch out into directing, they're subject to a different brand of criticism. Any A-lister who wanted to would have no trouble finding a movie to helm: their name alone would serve as proof of marketability. Skill, on the other hand, is more elusive, and Jolie will be up against some tough critics (including myself) who are interested in the story but need to be shown she's able to give a point-of-view from her spot in the director's chair.

If Jolie proves herself to be a competent director, she'll be following other women who started as actresses and turned into directors. Hollywood director Ida Lupino first worked as an actress, as did Jodie Foster and Penny Marshall. Though I doubt Jolie would envy this comparison, infamous German propagandist Leni Reifenstahl also segued from actress to director. Even last year's Best Director winner at the Oscars, Kathryn Bigelow, once appeared in a music video directed by her then-romantic interest, James Cameron. With women underrepresented as Hollywood directors, the actor-to-director transition may just be a welcome back door that will get more women into the director seat.