The film, directed by Jolie, depicts life in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge regime, but has attracted criticism for its casting methods

Netflix has released the first trailer for First They Killed My Father, Angelina Jolie’s drama about life under the Khmer Rogue.

Directed by Jolie, the film is an adaptation of Cambodian author and activist Loung Ung’s memoir of the same name. It follows Ung as she and her family try to survive the genocide orchestrated by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rogue regime in the 1970s.

The film has attracted controversy due to casting methods reportedly used in its making. A Vanity Fair article alleged that casting directors devised a “game” in which a child who was auditioning for the lead role was given money, asked “to think of something she needed the money for” and then had the money taken from her. Jolie has disputed the accuracy of the account, describing it as “false and upsetting”.

First They Killed My Father is released on Netflix on 15 September. Shortly after it will be screened at the Toronto film festival.