Casey Affleck: Joaquin Phoenix documentary was hard work

Casey Affleck admits making the I’m Still Here documentary with his brother-in-law Joaquin Phoenix was “incredibly difficult”. I’m Still Here — directed by Affleck — follows Phoenix as he attempted to launch a career as a rapper.

Joaquin was followed by cameras over a twelve month period for the fly-on-the-wall documentary.

The Oscar-nominated star had fans puzzled two years ago when he began making a series of bizarre public appearances, including growing a scraggly beard and appearing spacey on The Late Show With David Letterman.

At the time, Affleck, 34, filmed all of Phoenix’s outbursts, claiming he was shooting a documentary. Many thought Phoenix’s antics were just part of an elaborate hoax.

“By the end, I was just completely drained,” Casey said of the experience.

“Not only by the experience, but also the experience of putting it together. I got through a whole other journey and had my own difficulties. I was pretty new to it.

“I had done commercials and short films, but I had something like 400 hours of footage and I watched every minute.

“An experience like this was incredibly difficult, but it is a drop in bucket next to 20 years of friendship. He’s my brother-in-law. If we had been strangers, it probably would have transformed our relationship and lives. But we have stayed very close.”