INQUISITR.COM / Entertainment

Angelina Jolie Backlash: Criticism And Outrage Over Tactics Used To Audition Cambodian Children

By Jessica Dafoe
Published on: 01:31 PST, Jul 28, 2017

Angelina Jolie is in the midst of a difficult divorce from Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt and has just recently spoken out about the hardships that have come since the mother of six announced she was filing for divorce, last September. The beauty and Allied star got off to a rocky start in the divorce proceedings and custody battle, yet are now working through the difficult time on a more unified front.

Jolie opened up recently for her cover feature with Vanity Fair and shared about recent struggles with Bell’s Palsy, from which she has recovered thanks to acupuncture, and struggles as a woman putting her family first.

National Post relays the UN envoy’s words on the subject.

“‘Sometimes women in families put themselves last … until it manifests itself in their own health.’ She added that she’s also been finding more grey hair, though whether that’s ‘menopause or if it’s just been the year I’ve had,’ she isn’t sure.”

Along with the troublesome times in her personal life, Angelina is reportedly also facing a challenge in her work life seeing as many are displeased by methods the director and actress used to audition orphans for an upcoming film. Said film, First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, is a thriller and biographical telling of a human rights activist surviving the communist regime that was led by Khmer Rouge and saw approximately 2 million Cambodians killed between 1975 and 1979.

Also in her interview with Vanity Fair, Jolie explained the technique she and the director of the film used to select orphans for the film. The actress admitted that it was an emotional and traumatic process, as the Sun reminds.

Jolie shared that they would put money on the table to tempt the poverty-stricken children that they wished to audition for the role. They would ask the children what they would use the money for and then tear it away. The director would then pretend to catch the children in the act of taking the money and the children would have to come up with a lie.

Srey Moch was the young girl chosen for the role and Angelina relayed that she was the only one who “stared at the money for a very, very long time.” Angelina added that “When she was forced to give it back, she became overwhelmed with emotion. All these different things came flooding back. When she was asked later what the money was for, she said her grandfather had died, and they didn’t have enough money for a nice funeral.”

Fans have reacted with criticism and anger at the techniques used by Jolie and the director. In addition to the cruel process for determining who would be selected for the roles, Angelina shared that local citizens in Cambodia were not made aware that there was a biopic being made about the Rouge regime and many were brought to their knees in tears when they caught a glimpse of who they thought were members of the regime returning to terrorize them once more. There was reportedly a therapist present on set for those who lived through the traumatic time as many experienced violent flashbacks and nightmares.

[Featured Image by Jordan Pix/Getty Images]

Share this article: Angelina Jolie Backlash: Criticism And Outrage Over Tactics Used To Audition Cambodian Children
angelina jolie brad pitt Film cambodia
More from Inquisitr