Angelina Jolie’s latest directorial effort, By The Sea, entered production last week and Entertainment Weekly have served up a batch of photos from the set along with the first plot details.
Set during the 1970s in France, the film stars Jolie as Vanessa, a former dancer who has grown distant with her long-term husband Roland (Brad Pitt). After travelling the country together, though, the pair grow attached to the residents of a quaint seaside town that subsequently make them look at their own relationship from a different perspective.
In a statement provided to EW, the actress-cum-director spoke of her fondness for the 1970s, and how the era and its liberating context is integral to the story of By The Sea.
“I chose to set By the Sea in the 1970s, not only because it is a colourful and alluring era, but because it removes many of the distractions of contemporary life and allows the focus to remain squarely on the emotions that the characters experience in their journey.”
The upcoming romantic drama also marks the couple’s first on-screen collaboration since Mr. & Mrs. Smith almost a decade ago. And while no release date has been scheduled as of yet, it’s understood that Universal Pictures will distribute the film, with Christian Berger — the Oscar-nominated cinematographer 2009’s monochrome German opus, The White Ribbon — in charge of the camera.
By The Sea began shooting last week on September 8th and is expected to continue until mid-November, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on Jolie’s latest venture behind the camera as more information appears.
