Monday, 13 January, 2003, 13:15 GMT

Tom Cruise's latest project, The Last Samurai, has been hit by controversy after sections of the Maori community said sacred sites have been desecrated during filming.

Others claimed they should be paid compensation for the use of images of their sacred mountain, Mount Taranaki, which will feature in the film.

In tribal legend, Mount Taranaki is regarded as an ancestor of Maori who live in the region.

But the New Zealand film industry body is playing down any dispute, calling the row "a storm in a teacup".

Although the film is set in Japan the majority of scenes will be shot in New Zealand, including using Mount Taranaki on the west coast of the North Island as Mount Fujiyama.

The film will inject up to NZ $80m (£27m) into the local and national economy, but some Maori groups say they deserve a bigger slice of the money.

The Parihaka community complained it had been assured Taranaki would not be used in the film, and believe they should gain financially from its use.

However, Maori spokesman Te Miringa Hohaia said some gesture, "not necessarily cash," needed to be made in recognition of their "special relationship" with Mount Taranaki. More - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2653451.stm

-- Anonymous, January 13, 2003