Day Angelina Jolie Took My Breath Away is the cover story of the latest edition of the Supple magazine print edition. You can read it online with a selection of other special features on the 62nd Cannes Film Festival.
Day Angelina Jolie Took My Breath Away
By Hope Obioma Opara
She has the heart of a lioness, the compassion of a mother and the peace of a dove.
I came all the way from Nigeria to France to attend the 62nd Cannes Film Festival. It was my first time. I was one of over 5, 000 journalists crawling all over the place with pens, notepads, cameras, laptops, cell phones and whatever tool was necessary to record and report the best news and highlights of the prestigious film festival.
I’m overwhelmed by the awesome atmosphere of the most celebrated film festival in the world – with a parade of the most glamorous film stars and other celebrities on the red carpet at the Palais des Festivals. Angelina Jolie is on my wishlist and I’m sniffing for any news on her.
Brad Pitt arrived earlier on the French Riviera and Jolie came later on Tuesday evening, straight from the trial of Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga at The Hague, arraigned for engaging child soldiers. Jolie’s passion for children is legendary as she has demonstrated by adopting children from different continents and going to Africa to care for children in refugee camps. I came to Cannes to see if I could interview her and seeing her with my very eyes would be overwhelming.
My excitement reached fever-pitch on Wednesday May 20, when the whole place went agog over the arrival of the screen goddess, Angelina Jolie, and her beau, Brad Pitt. The paparazzi pack thronged the Grand Theatre Lumiere — venue of the premiere of Pitt’s Inglourious Bastards — like a swarm of bees and I could not even come near the edge of the red carpet, because the paparazzi from America and Europe were already overcrowding the borders. It was the most dramatic and colourful moment as Pitt and Angelina walked arm in arm with so much gaiety and passion like a scene from an opera. Pitt played the dashing gentleman in a black suit, white shirt and black bow-tie and Jolie’s dress was wow! She was a spectacular sight in a tea rose Versace Atelier draped gown. She was absolutely gorgeous in the backless chiffon gown with a plunging neckline and a slit showing us all her smooth and spotless right leg, thigh and all. Her diamond earrings and awesome dress were not what kept me gazing at her, but her unique tattoos. The most interesting were the ones on her upper arm showing some numbers which those who knew her well said were indicating the geographical coordinates (longitudes and latitudes) from the locations where her children first entered her life. She has the heart of a lioness, the compassion of a mother and the peace of a dove. These are the qualities making Angelina Jolie a unique personality, besides being the most powerful woman in the world today.
1. N11° 33′ 00″ E104° 51′ 00″: the place in Cambodia where Angelina Jolie’s eldest son Maddox was born.
2. N09° 02′ 00″ E038° 45′ 00″: the place in Ethiopia where her daughter Zahara was born.
3. S22° 40′ 26″ E014° 31′ 40″: the place in Namibia (Swakopmund) where Angelina gave birth to her biological daughter with Brad Pitt Shiloh (Hebrew for “the peaceful one”) was born.
4. N10° 46′ 00″ E106° 41′ 40″: the place in Vietnam where Angelina’s son Pax Thien was born.