In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Angelina Jolie opens up about her life after Brad Pitt. Despite her strong and confident persona, the actress admits that promoting her latest film has been challenging for her. She confesses to feeling a bit shy and less resilient than she has been in the past. This is the first time in a long while that she’s done press rounds, and it hasn’t been easy.

Jolie’s most recent film project, First They Killed My Father, was co-written, produced, and directed by her. The movie is set in Cambodia and tells the story of the Khmer Rouge genocide based on Loung Ung’s 2000 memoir. During the same period, Jolie was also dealing with the dissolution of her marriage to Brad Pitt. She admits that being single has been tough and not something she desired. Though she appears to have it all together, emotionally, this year has been challenging for her, and she’s had some health issues that need monitoring.

During the filming of her latest project, Jolie received unwavering support from her children who stayed by her side. Specifically, Maddox, whom Jolie adopted from Cambodia at three months old, played a pivotal role in the film’s production. With a desire to teach him about Cambodia’s rich history, Jolie saw the movie as an educational journey for them both. Maddox’s involvement in the research and editing processes contributed immensely. His youthful perspective allowed him to offer valuable insights such as pointing out when scenes were too complicated or dull. Overall, his presence was extremely beneficial to the production.

She expresses her admiration for the children, describing them as amazing. Witnessing their mutual support and ᴀssistance towards each other and herself has been truly touching. After the success of her movie, “First They Killed My Father,” Jolie plans to take a break and spend quality time with her family in their new Los Angeles home. The property was once owned by Hollywood legend Cecil B de Mille and was purchased by Jolie for a remarkable $24.5 million.

She reflects, “I feel like I need to reconnect with my past self a bit. Life has thrown a lot at me – I’ve lost loved ones, dealt with health problems, and raised my children. It’s been a time of growth and learning, but now that my kids are getting older, I’m realizing that I’ve put my own sense of play on the back burner for a while. Maybe their teenage years will bring out more of the fun-loving side of me.” She chuckles, “I guess it’s time to go back to my roots.”

The release date of First They Killed My Father on Netflix is set for September 15th.