Angelina Jolie is accused of exploiting children following the publication of her interview with Vanity Fair. The 42-year-old actress and United Nations Refugee Agency Special Envoy spoke about the process involved in directing her upcoming film "First They Killed My Father" with the magazine this month. The interview was released on Saturday, July 26 and caused a stir when readers and fans read about the selection process the star and her directing team used. The film is set in Cambodia and retells the story of the country's Communist Party's (the Khmer Rouge) reign of terror which being in 1975 and lasted for four years.
During this time, close to two million Cambodians lost their lives. The film is based on the book "A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers", a memoir of the war written by Loung Ung and published in 2000.
Accusations of exploitation follow publication of Vanity Fair interview
During her interview with Vanity Fair, Jolie spoke about the casting process for her new movie. According to the magazine, Jolie said the filming team went through the slums, circuses, and orphanages in Cambodia, searching for children who had "experienced hardship". However, it is what the star revealed next which really shocked readers. Jolie divulged that in order to select a child to play the role of a young Loung Ung, the team arranged a game.
Children were put sitting around a table with money on it and told that they had to think of a reason they needed the money. Once they had a reason, they then had to grab the money and run away. Apparently, Jolie would then pretend to catch the child and the child had to invent a lie on the spot. The child chosen to play the part, Shrey Moch, was reportedly overcome with emotion when she had to give the money back.
According to Jolie, when Moch was later asked what she needed the money for, the child revealed that her grandfather had died and the family couldn't afford a nice funeral.
Jolie defends her casting methods
According to US Weekly, Jolie has come forward to defend her casting methods in light of the accusations. In a statement released to The Huffington Post, the star said that she is upset over the incident, which she believes has been taken out of context.
Jolie explained that the method was based on an actual scene from the film and that parents, guardians, doctors and members of NGOs were at the casting to ensure the well-being of the children. The star added that she was hurt by the false suggestion that real money was taken from the children.
