Jolie an honorary citizen of Sarajevo

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SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, July 8 (UPI) -- Fikret Music, the premier of the Sarajevo Canton, Bosnia-Herzegovina, named Angelina Jolie an honorary citizen of the city during the Sarajevo Film Festival.

The U.S. actress attended the festival Saturday to support her directorial debut, "In the Land of Blood and Honey," telling the story of a relationship between a Serb man and a Muslim woman during the Bosnian war, E! Online reported Sunday.

"The time I spent and the people I met in Bosnia have changed me forever. I can't tell you how much it means to me to be named an honorary citizen of Sarajevo, a city so dear to my heart," Jolie said of her connection to the country.

"[Directing the movie] was the hardest thing I have ever done because of my deep respect for the people that really experienced it. The experience here was so unique for me that I felt very connected to the people."

Festival organizers said Jolie was scheduled to participate in a young filmmakers workshop as part of the film festival, People magazine reported.