Angelina Jolie Reacts to a Vanity Fair Cover Story About the Auditions for Her Latest Film
Award-winning Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie is currently facing criticisms at how the casting process of her upcoming Netflix film "First They Killed My Father" was done.
In a cover story done by Vanity Fair, it was stated that Jolie and the casting crew allegedly placed money on a table and let the children, who were auditioning, take it. After they took the money, they were forced to explain why they did it.
Srey Moch, the young girl who landed the part, was said to be the only one who stared at the money for quite some time. After taking the money, she was told to give it back, but she became emotional as she explained that she needed the money because her grandfather had died and they did not have enough money for a decent funeral.
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Critics called out Jolie, who is known for her humanitarian works, for the said issue, saying that it was cruel, emotionally abusive, and a form of exploitation.
However, according to the actress-filmmaker, the reports of alleged exploitation during the casting are far from the truth. It was apparently just a "pretend exercise" that showcased a scene in the film, and real money was not involved during the auditions.
In a joint statement with film producer Rithy Panth to the Huffington Post, Jolie clarified that the well-being of the children who took part in the auditions, and all throughout production, were taken into strict consideration.
"Every measure was taken to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of the children on the film starting from the auditions through production to the present," the statement said.
"Parents, guardians, partner NGOs whose job it is to care for children and medical doctors were always on hand every day, to ensure everyone had all they needed. And above all, to make sure that no one was in any way hurt by participating in the re-creation of such a painful part of their country's history," it went on to say.
In a statement to Variety, the 42-year-old actress expressed that she found the allegations "upsetting" and that she, herself, would be outraged if anything like it happened during the making of the Cambodian film.
"First They Killed My Father," which will arrive on Netflix this September, is a film based on a book by Loung Ung. It tells a personal story of his survival of the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia.
