You can learn a lot from someone’s Instagram page. In Angelina Jolie’s case, her profile tells a story of someone who cares deeply about her children, the planet, and the people living on it.
After resisting any involvement with social media for decades, the star’s decision to join Instagram last August was something of a shock. Her first post was a letter from a teenage girl in Afghanistan, detailing the terrors of living under the Taliban regime. The post gained more than 700,000 likes within four hours and has since been liked more than 4 million times.
At the time of writing, Jolie’s account boasts well over 11 million followers—yet the actor only follows three accounts: civil rights organisation NAACP, humanitarian NGO Doctors Without Borders, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Jolie may have become famous on account of her award-winning performances, but there is little suggestion of her primary occupation on her feed.
Instead, social media has become Jolie’s way of continuing her activism and spreading awareness of important topics, which has not been physically possible during the pandemic, something she has struggled with. “Not being able to visit the field for UN work has been hard. I’ve joined Instagram and am trying to use tools like that while I am limited in other ways,” she says.
The actor has spoken out on human rights, environmental issues, domestic violence awareness and youth protection, but at the heart of everything she fights for are “people worldwide who live with the daily reality of conflict and persecution”, she says; “people who have stood up against oppression, or refused to take up arms in a conflict, or left it all behind to give their children a chance at a better life and to live in safety.”
This story is from the February 2022 edition of Tatler Hong Kong.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2022 edition of Tatler Hong Kong.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE LAST WORD
Every issue, we ask our cover star a round of quickfire questions that give us a little more insight into their personalities. This month: Takashi Murakami
GOING WITH THE FLOW
How does one approach the ancient philosophy of feng shui in a modern way? Three leading Hong Kong-based designers share their thoughts on this revered art of placement and how to introduce its principles into our spaces
SCENE MAKER
Italian architect Antonio Citterio reflects on his enduring collaboration with Maxalto and how far the furniture brand has come since its early beginnings
MODERN FAMILY
Kourtney Kardashian's California sanctuary by famed designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard, is where elegance meets comfort
A TO Z COSMETIC TREATMENTS
From Botox to glass skin facials, here are the most talked-about cosmetic treatments to know
CHANGING THE GAME
Our world is ever-changing, and so is the way we experience it. Tatler explores how the travel industry is adapting to the needs and values of a new generation
ACTS OF SERVICE
Go on, then. Ask Vea and Wing's chef-owner Vicky Cheng what his love language is
THE BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT
More women are taking back their birthing experience and their power by challenging the institutionalised norms surrounding childbirth, honouring the healing process and leaning on the magic of sisterhood
THE RIGHT INGRDIENTS
Oscar nominee Tran Anh Hung, who won Best Director at Cannes last year, evolves the language of cinema to present the simple beauty of Vietnam
THIRST TRAP
Marilyn Minter takes an exclusive self-portrait for Tatler and reminds the world why raw, honest, non-conforming beauty is the most compelling kind