Angelina Jolie's intense method of casting children is being slammed as cruel and unnecessary

In Angelina Jolie's new cover story in Vanity Fair, she describes her intense method of casting children in her latest film, "First They Killed My Father" - and it's sparking outrage.

"First They Killed My Father" is based on Loung Ung's memoir by the same name, which details Ung's experience as a young child in Cambodia, as the Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975, and the genocide that followed. Jolie travelled to Cambodia in an effort to find children who she thought would be great for the lead role of young Ung.

Jolie sought out impoverished children to play the part of Ung, specifically those she deemed had experienced hardship. Then Jolie, along with her casting director, played games with them that have come across as cruel and unnecessary to many.

Here's the relevant paragraph from the Vanity Fair piece:

The article goes on to explain Jolie's methods as a way of garnering raw emotion from the children, but to many the method comes off as excessive and mean-spirited.

Here are a few reactions from Twitter:

NOW WATCH: 7 details you might have missed on season 7 episode 2 of 'Game of Thrones'

Please enable Javascript to watch this video