Forest Whitaker listened to tapes of Amin and spoke to local shamans

The Last King of Scotland, starring Forest Whittaker as the despot, is the first movie to be shot entirely on location in Amin's native Uganda.

It centres on Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan, played by British actor James McAvoy, who becomes Amin's advisor and stumbles on his bloody secrets.

Director Kevin MacDonald said shooting in Uganda had a "huge impact".

Dark corners

Idi Amin ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979 and presided over the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of people.

He was known for his savagery and eccentric decrees, such as granting himself the title of King of Scotland.

Forest Whitaker said he delved deep to prepare for the role, listening to tapes of Amin speaking in English and Swahili, interacting with shamans, eating local foods that became "Eucharistic" and allowed his body "to bring some of the energy out."

"You start to feel it," Whitaker said.

"You go into the recesses of yourself and try to go into the dark corners of your body and your mind, to allow the soul of a man to be able to come alive."

The film is based on the award winning 1998 novel by Giles Foden.