SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (AP) - Angelina Jolie has cut short the shooting of her first movie in Bosnia, her producer said Wednesday.
Jolie had originally planned to shoot scenes for her movie for about ten days in Bosnia, but now her crew will film the scenes in just three or four days, said Edin Sarkic, Jolie’s Bosnian producer. Jolie herself will only briefly visit the set, he said.
The change of plans came after rumors surrounding the movie’s storyline angered an association of women raped during the war in Bosnia who heard the film was about a rape victim falling in love with her rapist. They pressured city officials to withdraw Jolie’s filming permit in October.
The rumor proved to be untrue, but it still cast a shadow on the project.
Mass rape was a taboo topic in the immediate aftermath of the country’s 1992-95 war between Serb and Bosnian Muslim forces but since then victims have formed a group to campaign for their rights, which has become one of the country’s most powerful lobbies.
Jolie’s permit was reissued just three days later, but Sarkic said she decided to film some of the scenes originally planned for Bosnia in Hungary instead.
Jolie has exchanged letters with the women’s association to smooth over the false rumors, and has said she plans to meet with them when she arrives in Bosnia for her short visit.
The actress said she has great respect for the work of the women’s association and would “like the opportunity to speak with them to personally clear up any misunderstandings about this project.”
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