Angelina Jolie on 'A Mighty Heart'

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CANNES, France (CNN) -- One of the films showing at Cannes this year is Michael Winterbottom's "A Mighty Heart." It follows the story of murdered journalist, Daniel Pearl, who was beheaded by Pakistani militants in 2002. Based on the book by his widow, writer Mariane Pearl, it stars Dan Futterman and Angelina Jolie.

The Screening Room talked to Angelina Jolie about truth, brutality and her relationship with Mariane Pearl.

CNN: This film sticks to the truth like glue. What was that like for you as an actress?

Angelina Jolie: It was an amazing experience for me, technically, as an actress to work with a director like Michael Winterbottom, who is so set on honesty and honest moments. He dedicates himself; he was obsessive about understanding and meeting with every single person and learning about the facts, learning about the history. He impressed all of them with his knowledge and he gave us a great education. He's the only person that I believe could have made this film and we all felt we were in his capable hands.

CNN: Tell us about your relationship with Mariane Pearl.

Jolie: We first got in contact about four years ago to have a play date because our children are very close in age and we were both single moms at the time. Since then, we slowly got to know each other and during this process [of making "A Mighty Heart"] had a chance to really get to know each other.

She is a remarkable woman, a great friend and a wonderful mom, and she's taught me a lot. We've joked because it's the first time I've had a really great relationship with a journalist, but she's a really great woman and she's so supportive of other women and other journalists. She's a really open, compassionate, interesting person -- I set out to do a film and I ended up making a great lifelong friend who's taught me so much.

CNN: Michael Winterbottom doesn't direct his actors as such, and he was telling us about the scene when you emitted that horrible scream. As an actress did what you delivered surprise you?

Jolie: Yes, it did, actually. We had no plan 'cause I don't think you can ever plan those things really. I had no idea exactly how she reacted -- I couldn't ask her, so I never did.

On that night we all thought about Danny, we thought about Mariane, we thought about what that news would be like and we thought about that little boy. I guess something overwhelmed everybody that night because everybody was emotional. Maybe it was just the brutality and the horrors of what people are capable of in this world and what happens to families.

CNN: And when you actually came to filming, what happened?

Jolie: Michael said to me, if you're comfortable, leave the door open and if you're not, slam the door and I'll know not to come in. That was our only signal; that was his only direction. So I left the door open.

CNN: This film sticks to the truth, it's restrained and it lets the story speak for itself. Do you think cinema can play a role in being truthful, not just telling stories?

Jolie: Absolutely, and again, I don't think anybody does it better than Michael. It's the kind of film I like to see. If somebody's presenting a story that they say is truthful, then I want to learn, I want to know what really happened. I don't want somebody else's idea of what's a more exciting truth. I'm not going to the movie to be entertained, I'm going to that movie to be educated: hopefully we did try to do that.