Angelina Jolie had constructive conversations with her sons about relationships and violence while making the Maria Callas biopic Maria together.

The Oscar winner’s two eldest kids, Maddox, 23, and Pax, 21, worked on the Netflix film in the assistant director department, which serves as a liaison between the director and other creative teams.

In Maria, Jolie, 49, stars as the famed opera singer, who had a tempestuous years-long affair with Aristotle Onassis. That romance came with allegations of abuse, though those claims aren’t explicitly explored onscreen.

About making the movie with her sons and discussing the themes at play together, Jolie told The Sunday Times, “They were able to consider the relationships in the film and the violence — things that sometimes you don’t have the opportunity to discuss with your sons, so I felt fortunate.”

Angelina Jolie Recalls Being ‘Shaky’ Her ‘First Time Singing’ for Maria. How Her Sons Helped Her Nerves

Pax, Angelina Jolie, Zahara and Maddox on Sept. 29, 2024.John Nacion/Variety via Getty

Jolie added that she related to Callas in her “commitment to her work.”

“I’m a hard worker and a deeply feeling person,” she said. “Maria is vulnerable because she feels and isn’t sometimes able to protect herself from the loneliness or emotional pain. Because it’s part of her life and work to be extremely human and live that way. You live through your communication with the audience. For Maria and for me, that has always been extremely important.”

Jolie shares six kids with ex Brad Pitt: Maddox, Pax, Zahara, 19, Shiloh, 18, and 16-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

Angelina Jolie in “Maria”.Pablo Larrain/Netflix

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The star has previously alluded to her personal connections to Callas, who died in 1977 at age 53. At a Venice Film Festival press conference in August, she told reporters, “Well, there’s a lot I won’t say in this room, that you probably know or assume.”

“I think the way I related to her may be a surprise. [It was] probably the part of her that’s extremely soft and doesn’t have room in the world to be as soft as she truly was, and as emotionally open as she truly was,” she said, adding of Callas, “I share her vulnerability more than anything.”

Angelina Jolie’s Sons Were ‘Professional’ and ‘Got the Respect’ of Without Blood Crew, Says Salma Hayek Pinault (Exclusive)

Angelina Jolie on Dec. 2, 2024.Mike Coppola/Getty

Jolie recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about having Maddox and Pax on set with her: “They’ve done that quite a few times, and I think that’s good for them. Pax tends to do stills and he gets brought in, and Pablo was wonderful and recognized that he was good at it.”

She added that her kids are “a bit older, getting more independent. I’m less needed and so able to go away for different periods of time. And they’re old enough to join me at work. It’s a new season in our lives. I’m very excited for them to be coming into their own more and more every day.”