Malick 's fifth feature , '' The Tree of Life '' , was filmed in Smithville , Texas , and elsewhere during 2008 . Starring Brad Pitt , Jessica Chastain , and Sean Penn , it is a family drama spanning multiple time periods ; it focuses on an individual 's struggle to reconcile love , mercy and beauty with the existence of illness , suffering and death . It premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival , where it won the Palme d'Or . It later won the FIPRESCI Award for the Best Film of the Year . At the 84th Academy Awards , it was nominated for three awards , including the Academy Award for Best Picture , Best Director for Malick , and Best Cinematography for Emmanuel Lubezki . A limited theatrical release in the United States began on May 27 , 2011
84th Academy Awards
84th Academy Awards
Terrence Malick