The nightmare of some can be a true blessing for others.
Angelina Jolie says she feels "very honored" to be able to participate in a National Geographic photo shoot, particularly, to say the least. The Hollywood star has posed covered in bees for 18 minutes, which would seem like an eternity to anyone. Not to her, who hasn't even flinched as the insects fluttered around her and landed on her chest and her face. Some have even slipped into her clothes.
Surprisingly, she has come out unscathed, without any bites. The result is this portrait, taken by photographer Dan Winters, though it might as well look like a work of Photoshop. For the most skeptical, the magazine has published the making-off. It's all for a good cause!
"It was wonderful to feel so connected to these beautiful creatures," says Angelina Jolie. The photo shoot photoshoot aims to raise awareness for World Bee Day. "With everything we're concerned about in the world, a lot of people are overwhelmed by bad news, but this is one we can handle," says the Oscar winner, who was named godmother of Women for Bees, a five-year-old show. launched by UNESCO which will help train and support 50 beekeepers from around the world.
Mother of six children, the actress confesses that the little ones are much more aware than the adults. "The decisions we make and the things we do in the next 10 to 20 years will make or break the way we can live on this planet. Unfortunately, they know that. It's very difficult for them. I can't imagine being a little boy. If the Earth can exist in the same way, if there will be bees and pollination...it was not something I was thinking about at the age of 12. I don't think many people know the damage it is doing, they are just trying to spend the day," she admits with concern.
Jolie explained that there are two types of bees: "wild and solitary or domestic." When asked what kind she would be, she quips, "I feel like I've been a big house bee lately, but in my heart, I'm a lonely wild one."
How was the photo taken?
"Angelina stayed perfectly still, covered in bees for 18 minutes without a sting," says the photographer in charge of the session. "Everyone on set except Angelina had to wear a protective suit. It had to be quiet and pretty dark to keep the bees quiet," he adds. The actress was unable to shower for the previous three days. "They told me, 'If you have all these different scents and shampoos and perfumes and stuff, the bee doesn't know what you are.' Then you put some things in your nose and ears so you don't give them so many holes to climb into," he explains.
"You have to be still and in your body, at the moment, which is not easy for me," confesses the protagonist. In her opinion, the problem lies in the image we have of bees, a dangerous animal that stings. "The intention is that we share this planet. It affects each other," she concludes.
