Ross King: How Angelina Jolie is adapting to life after Brad Pitt

IT’S been a horrible year for Angelina Jolie, but she has every reason to be proud of herself.

She has handled the unfortunate end of her marriage to Brad Pitt with class and dignity.

Although she has been open about struggling in the wake of the divorce, when I met her last week in Toronto she looked relaxed and happy.

We had a good old gab and I have to say she was open and very smiley – it was great to see her doing so well.

Angelina was in Canada to promote her latest movie, First They Killed My Father.

She is doing less acting and more directing these days, and she is behind the camera for this Netflix feature.

It’s fair to say she’s had a few hits and misses in her directing career. Second World War drama Unbroken was good but By The Sea, in which she starred opposite Brad, wasn’t great.

This new movie is probably her best.

It’s a biographical historical thriller about a girl trying to survive the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

It’s the home country of Angelina’s adopted son Maddox, and the 16-year-old served as executive producer on the movie.

I wondered if Maddox’s presence influenced how they were treated during filming.

“Cambodian people are very different and what they value is very different,” she told me. “It’s not like walking around in Hollywood.

“They see us a mother and a son and I’m very proud to be a Cambodian citizen.

“When we’re there we feel like we’re home and people are very kind to us.”

First They Killed My Father, which is on Netflix now, will be Cambodia’s submission to the Oscars and Angelina could end up securing her first Best Director nomination.

But she says she still enjoys being an actor – and is looking forward to filming Maleficent 2.

“I think directing takes a lot, and you can do a movie for six weeks and move on but I love the ones like this that really matter,” she explained.

“I want to give my life to these kind of projects.

“I appreciate being able to be an actress and have fun – and the kids do too. They’re ready for me to play a bit on set – to get my horns on and have a laugh!”