It’s not easy casting any role in a film, but finding child actors is particularly difficult. Generally held under stricter guidelines for how long they can be on set, having a young lead means finding someone who can tap into emotions that they might not fully understand the complexities of. So, one can understand the challenge Angelina Jolie faced in finding the lead for “First They Killed My Father,” her adaptation of the memoir by author and human rights activist Loung Ung, that details the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, whose four year reign of terror and genocide saw nearly two million Cambodians killed. However, her methods are certainly open for questioning.
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Vanity Fair has a huge profile on the actress and director, and they reveal the casting process for the Cambodia shot film that led Jolie to Sareum Srey Moch. Needless to say, it’s a bit alarming:
To cast the children in the film, Jolie looked at orphanages, circuses, and slum schools, specifically seeking children who had experienced hardship. In order to find their lead, to play young Loung Ung, the casting directors set up a game, rather disturbing in its realism: they put money on the table and asked the child to think of something she needed the money for, and then to snatch it away. The director would pretend to catch the child, and the child would have to come up with a lie. “Srey Moch [the girl ultimately chosen for the part] was the only child that stared at the money for a very, very long time,” Jolie says. “When she was forced to give it back, she became overwhelmed with emotion. All these different things came flooding back.” Jolie then tears up. “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.”
I’m not sure that kind of thing would fly in Los Angeles, and it seems very manipulative to put children through that kind of process. At the very least, it raises an eyebrow (or two).
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section. “First They Killed My Father” is slated to hit TIFF for its Canadian Premiere, which likely means a Venice or Telluride debut. It will be released by Netflix.