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This is so sweet!

Angelina Jolie appeared on The Today Show this morning in a pre-taped appearance with Louis Zamperini, whose life is chronicled in her second directorial effort, Unbroken.

Jolie hugs the 97-year-old World War II hero and discusses how she knew from the beginning that she wanted this to be her next project. "I wanted to direct something again, but I just wasn't sure what. And it had to be something that I would love and care about, because it takes much more time away from your family, and much more effort than acting," she told Tom Brokaw.

"This has been the hardest thing I've ever done," she added. "I pitched my butt off ... [It's] such a huge responsibility to get it right. Because I love him so much. And because he's helped me so much in my life."

"For me, I think Louis has been very clear about what his message is," she continued. "And I think, for my children, and for everybody in the world, I want to be able to say, it can seem dark, and it can seem hopeless, and it can seem very overwhelming, but the resilience and the strength of the human spirit is an extraordinary thing."

Check out the rest of the interview in the video above!