  Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie arrive for a photo call for their film A Mighty Heart, about beheaded journalist Daniel Pearl. (Virginia Mayo, AP)
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CANNES -- As low key as they could be, and as respectful as possible of why they were here, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie made their first appearance together yesterday at the 60th Cannes Film Festival.
"To be honest," Jolie told a press conference, "we arrived here yesterday (Sunday) and had a beautiful day with our kids. We've all simply been playing with our children since the moment we landed. It's a beautiful place and we have an opportunity to try to enjoy it with our families and speak about something we believe in. So it's all good."
As one of the world's most famous, and most paparazzi-plagued couples, Pitt & Jolie showed up to support their film A Mighty Heart. As an out-of-competition screening in the official Cannes selection, it is a serious and searing drama about the 2002 kidnapping and murder of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl. If it was up for prizes, Jolie might have won as best actress; she should be in the running for an Oscar nom.
"Truthfully," Pitt said of the hordes of paparazzi following their every move at Cannes, "it doesn't feel much different for us. The reason is we have cameras following us around every day. We're really happy to be here with this project. We have great respect for this story and its place in the world."
Jolie plays Mariane Pearl, the victim's then pregnant widow. Pitt, who originally bought the film rights to Pearl's book about the tragedy when he was still married to Jennifer Aniston, serves as the producer of the film. He hired Michael Winterbottom to direct and approved Jolie to play the central role.
Jolie said yesterday she came to personally know Pearl through her book, then through meeting and befriending her in "playdates" involving their children. Mariane gave birth to Adam Pearl after her husband's brutal beheading in Pakistan at the hands of Islamic terrorists. Pearl brought Adam with her to join Pitt and Jolie on the family outings in Cannes.
"I care very much about her and this story," Jolie said, "and I believe very much in her voice."
So far, the best compliment about the film, Jolie said, came from Pearl: "I was very, very nervous to get it right. The night before the first day of shooting, I had been nervous and I didn't know if I could do it at all. But she felt it was done right and I can't tell you how much that means to me."
Jolie said that A Mighty Heart, which opens in North America in June, is the kind of film that resonates with an actor long after. But that does not mean she will stop doing action adventure romps like the Lara Croft flicks.
"I'm still capable of being silly and fun and just entertaining," Jolie said. "I've been fortunate that I've been able to have that balance and do the wild, fun, action movies and also be allowed to do the dramatic movies. I'd always love to do both."
But something like A Mighty Heart means more. "These are the ones that change the way we see the world."
That passion wells up from the extraordinary resilience of Mariane Pearl, who sat beside Jolie at the press conference. Pearl declined to share her innermost emotions but explained her reasons for being involved.
"I decided to say yes to this movie for the same reason I wrote this book and for the same reason I do journalism," Pearl said. That reason, she added, is simply to tell the truth about the complicated world we live in, including in the Middle East.
Pitt said it was a relief to bring A Mighty Heart to Cannes after the challenge of shooting on location in places such as India. "Someone described it as being a triumphant experience after all the hard work that goes in to making a movie. There is a real positive side to it.
"And I think that's true especially on this film where everyone feels a tremendous responsibility. We're very happy that the film maintains the dignity of Mariane and Danny themselves.
