Angelina Jolie's "Unbroken" film, her second directorial effort, drew gasps from the audience at its Sydney, Australia, premiere Monday.
The movie, based on the novel "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption" by Laura Hilldenbrand, is the story of Louis Zamperini, a 1936 Olympian who was later captured during World War II and spent years as a
Japanese prisoner-of-war, according to Fox News.
The inspirational tale of Zamperini's life moved Jolie, who spoke about the impact his "indomitable will" had on her.
"I think as a human being, as a mother, as someone who works internationally, I needed desperately to know a man like Louis Zamperini in my life, to know that there is hope,"
Jolie said at the showing, according to Metro. "The strength of a strong heart and an indomitable will is valuable and it's worth something. We have to remember that and hold onto that because that's what will pull us through and it's what has always pulled people through dark times."
Jolie reportedly showed an early version of the film to Zamperini, who died in July at age 97.
During the filming of the movie,
Jolie spoke to Vanity Fair about Zamperini's impact on her.
"Kind of like a father figure," she said. "What I love about Louis is that he is a very regular person. He wasn't the tallest, the most handsome, or the most confident. He was kind of a mess when he was growing up. But the main message [of the movie] is about how you choose to live your life — that there is greatness in everyone."
The movie was shot in New South Wales and Queensland, and the film was funded by the Australian government, Fox News noted.
It's slated for a Dec. 25 release in the United States.
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