Anger as Angelina 'blacks up' for role

Jolie, 31, has effected an astonishing transformation to become French freelance reporter Mariane Pearl, who was five months pregnant when her husband, 38, was kidnapped while on assignment in Pakistan in 2002.

He was eventually beheaded by Islamic terrorists, despite pleas from his family and colleagues. The film is based on Mrs Pearl's story of the tragedy, A Mighty Heart, which details the moment her husband disappeared through to the birth of their son Adam, now four.

Filming began this week in India. Pakistan was rejected as a location because of security fears. It is being made by Brad Pitt's production company Plan B, with him as producer and Briton Michael Winterbottom directing.

Jennifer Aniston was originally lined up to play the lead, already tipped by industry insiders as a potential Oscar contender. But following her divorce from Pitt, in which she relinquished part ownership of Plan B, he handed it to his new flame Jolie.

There has, however, been some controversy over the casting. Some black campaign groups say it amounts to a "whitewash" - because Mrs Pearl is mixed race. One website, blacklooks.org, claims: "It is 2006 and I had assumed that the days when white actors took on roles of black people had long passed away."

Another blogger adds: "This is just another example of the white washing of history. There are mixed/black women actresses who could have done a damn good job in this role. You can't tell me that Halle Berry, Judy Reyes or other women of African descent wouldn't have been a better choice."

But Mrs Pearl has welcomed the casting, saying: "I'm delighted Angelina Jolie will be playing my role. I deeply admire her work."

US actor Dan Futterman plays the role of Pearl. Jolie has described A Mighty Heart as being about "cross-cultural understanding and the values that people of all faiths share".