Angelina Jolie covers the latest issue of L’Officiel, mostly to promote her latest directorial effort Without Blood. That’s the one where she directed her bestie Salma Hayek and Demián Bichir. Jolie actually directed this years ago, but it’s only being released this month. This interview is the longest she’s given in several years, and it was conducted after Knox and Vivienne’s 18th birthday. You can feel the weight lifting off of her and you can feel her eagerness to move on from Los Angeles. She talks extensively about Atelier Jolie (her art/fashion/food collective) and her kids. Some excellent highlights:

What is Atelier Jolie now? Fashion, Jolie admits, “was never my central interest….There was a big discussion about sustainability. It became obvious to me that I didn’t want to be pushing people merely to consume. My main focus is welcoming visitors who want to learn, create, and be in community. Anyone who contributes by attending and visiting gives back to the artists who come in. Our doors are open to all, and I love when new visitors continue to discover and join us.”

How Atelier Jolie evolved: “I didn’t know exactly what it was when I opened the doors. My thought was to open a space and gift areas to different thinkers and creatives. I watched Prune Nourry [a French multidisciplinary artist] move in and make the top floor a studio for herself and do monthly talks. I witnessed the refugee chefs at Eat Offbeat [New York’s immigrant training-focused food venture] find different ways to bring their culture to people daily. Things that have to do with community—like the talks, the dinners, and the gallery space—seemed to naturally push forward more than the fashion. Offering the space on a rotating basis to makers from around the world was more exciting than having a daily traditional shop.”

Moving outside the US and opening new Atelier Jolie hubs/franchises: “Out of the States more, I think. The hope for the Atelier was always to be global; Brazil might become the first space that we open outside of the U.S. The idea would be to visit the different locations around the world and meet local artists and makers. I’m going to get back to doing more hands-on work with my foundation in Cambodia and my field work. I don’t really plan to have a base. I’d like to have a home base for my family, a place where some of the mom stuff and the family photos are. And then I’d like to be a bit nomadic for a while. My home in Cambodia will also be a residency a few months out of the year for Khmer culture. A few will open quite soon. We’re talking to teams in Vienna and Cambodia. There is not a country I wouldn’t consider working in. The idea is that wherever it is in the world, it’s always run locally and it’s theirs to benefit from, because we’re a nonprofit. When I worked as a diplomat, I would see that there was so much focus on charity and aid and there wasn’t enough focus on supporting business and independence, so I wanted to build a model that would grow other people’s careers and community.

Her thoughts on AI: “The reality of the future is there will be all these new technologies [as a result of AI]. Hopefully they’ll help with cancer research and global education at a more affordable price. There will be positives. On the other side of it, the things it can never replace are human touch, human connection, building something yourself. We have to understand the realities of what is happening with a lot of the new technologies, see how it affects our lives, and be even more so together and hands-on in the world. It’s what it is to be alive.

Her work with the Maddox Foundation in rural Cambodia: “It’s evolved over the years. When I first moved to Cambodia, I thought I would buy a place and hire local people to work with me to demine and work on local education and development. We did that. But it became clear there were a lot of issues with deforestation, gem mining, and illegal wildlife trade. It expanded to conservation work. We’ve been doing that for a long time. Now I think focusing on development and independence is the next stage, to see different business and education opportunities for people in the community. Just to continue to help develop and grow.

She’s still doing the same humanitarian work even after she left the UNHCR: “Honestly, it hasn’t changed much. I always paid my own way—even during my UN years, my travel was never the agency’s responsibility. Same with lodging, security, anything like that. I never wanted an agency carrying that weight for me. And the relationships are still there, with people at the UN, the Red Cross, INARA [International Network for Aid, Relief & Assistance], and so many local organizations doing this work on the ground. Even when I was with UNHCR [UN Refugee Agency], what I really cared for most was understanding the local reality. UNHCR is kind of an umbrella, it’s a protection agency, so its job is securing the legal permissions that let you actually be present in a country. That means navigating legal frameworks, protections, endless negotiations with governments. Important work, but a different kind of work. While I have real concerns about certain aspects of the UN’s work, I remain deeply convinced of its vital role in protecting human dignity, in delivering emergency aid to those who have nowhere else to turn, and in defending human rights when no one else will. Finally, in bringing nations together in the pursuit of peace. A peace that, so often and so tragically, still eludes us. If only we lived by the principles of the UN Charter and if only those words were matched by action, I believe the world would be a far better place.

Maddox & Pax working on her films: “I think if you have any interest in working on film, you need to be a part of the crew and do the hard work and know all the different departments. They’ve worked on a few films that way, and they’re both doing other things, too: Maddox is focusing on being a pilot, and Pax has his photography, but I think he does have an interest in film. Obviously it’s nice for me to be around them, but I am just Mom, wanting to be around her family.

On Zahara’s time at Spelman: “I just felt so deeply honored to be a part of it. I came in knowing that she belonged and it was a special place for her. I didn’t assume I would be as welcomed and educated and supported as I was. There’s no place that would’ve been better for her—it really transformed her and it’s really a part of our family now. They actually pulled me aside when she became an AKA [member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the historically Black sorority]. I didn’t know what that really meant, but they talked to me about how it was for life. It’s an extraordinary place. Our family felt so proud of her, so honored to be a part of it and to feel like we were welcomed into something that is very special, unique and important.

She’s raised true individuals. “They’re definitely individuals. That makes me very proud, because one of the most important things, I think, is to basically not get in their way. As a parent, you try to do many things, but you also try to not get in the way of this human being who has a life separate from yours and so much potential in their own mind. You want to make sure that you support them.

Her plans now that all the kids are grown: “I really love and am looking forward to more connection and community. I’m not somebody who vacations or shops or things like that. I envision more field work, more travel, and just being out in the world. Get my motorcycle back, get back in a plane. I don’t know. That’s definitely what my kids want! They had Mom when Mom needed to be Mom. Now, they’d like me to call them from Tunisia having just landed a plane to meet with local artists. I agree that would be very nice.

[From L’Officiel]

What she says about Zahara and Spelman is lovely, and I love that Angelina was so supportive of Zahara’s journey, and that the Spelman community welcomed both Angelina and Zahara. That’s cool. It will be exciting to see her embrace her new freedom to travel and do good work internationally. I’m fascinated by Atelier Jolie and how she’s creating more of them in other cities. I think she’s basically financing all of that out of pocket too. That’s wild!

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, cover courtesy of L’Officiel.