"Gimme Shelter:” Behind the Scenes of 'By the Sea' with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Set in France during the mid-1970s, Vanessa, a former dancer, and her husband Roland, an American writer, travel the country together. They seem to be growing apart, but when they linger in one quiet, seaside town they begin to draw close to some of its more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local bar/cafe-keeper and a hotel owner. Check out this preview and interviews about this much anticipated film written and Directed by Angelina Jolie.