Excellence Magazine enters the fairy tale world of “Sleeping Beauty” to meet Maleficent, the Beautiful Angelina Jolie.

“Some people are able to rise from their ashes like the phoenix – these people can respond positively to the traumas they have to face, they are able to find themselves again even when they think they are drifting away. It sounds like a paradox, but often it is precisely after these difficult and painful moments that we find out that we possess an immense and unexpected strength. Each step of our journey made us who we are today. I am sure that, if we could go back in time to delete certain moments of our past, we would feel like we’re erasing ourselves”, says Angelina Jolie. She’s more beautiful and more intense than ever as she talks about Maleficent, the magical creature (or, if you will, the villain of “Sleeping Beauty” – who ends up being not so bad after all) who is the protagonist of Maleficent 2: Mistress of evil. She then adds, “I love her resilience and I have a lot in common with her”.

Such as?
“She is a kind and sensitive creature. Her nature is free and wild … but she gets hurt: they physically cut off her wings. She feels betrayed by life and by love, and therefore risks forgetting her true essence, her identity as a fairy, and becoming evil. This, unfortunately, can also happen in real life”.
Talking about reality, the movie touches on several current issues …
“Yes, several important issues, starting from the environment. When I look at the world today, I know that nothing is impossible. We can still save the planet, if only we made a stronger commitment to it. Small daily acts are enough to make a difference. In addition, I have been working for a long time with the UN for Refugees (she is a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ed.), so I am especially glad that Maleficent, in its own way , touches on this topic. Everyone has felt rejected, or not accepted, because they are “different”. Unfortunately, we are more inclined to fearing diversity than we are to understanding its beauty. The key to saving the world, people and even ourselves, is love. Maleficent rediscovers it thanks to her daughter, as I have thanks to my children”.

How?
“Thanks to their boundless love, their empathy and kindness. Love is the greatest form of magic: it can truly save you and give you back your freedom.”

What do you mean by freedom?
“I am referring to the freedom to be yourself, to be different and to live life to the fullest. We are led to believe that this requires us to be strong women, fighters, but that is wrong. A woman who finds herself is happy, joyful, and feminine. She loves and accepts her own fragility, her vulnerability, and that is her strength. Women are delicate, gentle creatures, but we are also bold, wild and, if needed, we can be noble warriors…and most of all –even when we are hurt- we are capable of loving the men who support us and from whom we can learn many things. I will never get tired of saying this, but love is the only thing in this world that does no harm” .