Salma Hayek puts Angelina Jolie on the list of her top directors. The Oscar-nominated actress worked with Jolie in the upcoming drama Without Blood. According to People, the 55-year-old Frida star said Angelina is “probably the best director I’ve ever worked with. And I worked with some pretty good ones.”

“I’ve always loved her as a director, but I think this might be her best or one of the best,” Hayek says of Jolie, who has directed five feature films, including Unbroken and By the Sea.

©Salma Hayek

The publication informed that Without Blood, which has no release date scheduled, is based on Alessandro Barrico’s novel and tells the story of “an unforgettable fable set in the aftermath of an unidentified conflict; it explores universal truths about war, trauma, memory, and healing,” says the press release.

According to Hayek, the movie is so deep that she has yet to “recover” from it. “It was a tough film to do. And then somehow, it was a joy to suffer so much [because]...she was shockingly good,” she said.

Demián Bichir costars in the film and has the same opinion as Salma. “He was saying to me, ‘This is the hardest thing, like the most intense project I’ve ever done in my life, with the highest level of complexity.’ And I said, ‘I’m so glad you say that… me, too,’” the Mexican revealed.

According to the media outlet, Hayek thought about whether she wanted to work with her good friend before accepting the role. “There’s always hesitation: Am I putting my friendship in jeopardy right now?” she says. “And wow, I have a whole other level of respect [for her].” Salma and Angelina recently worked together in the 2021 Marvel movie, The Eternals.