Casey Affleck's new film was inspired by his children

1 July 2019

Casey Affleck says his new film 'Light of My Life' was inspired by his children.

Casey Affleck

The 43-year-old actor-and-director recently helmed and starred in the dystopian drama film - which followed a father and his young daughter as they become trapped in the woods in a post-pandemic world where a disease has killed most of the planet's women - and confessed that the movie was heavily influenced by his own children, Indiana, 15, and 11-year-old Atticus, who he has with actress Summer Phoenix.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he said: "So much of the film is based on my experience as a parent."

Affleck - who is the brother of Hollywood star Ben Affleck - went on to explain that although the film wasn't made as a comment on environmental and social issues, he hopes the movie - which also stars Anna Pniowsky, Tom Bower, Elisabeth Moss and Hrothgar Mathews - will raise awareness of current ecological concerns.

He said: "I am no quite that ambition, but I do really believe in the power of art in times like this. People keep making things and telling stories, whether they are political or not. It provokes, helping conversations and brings people together."

The 'Manchester by the Sea' star also revealed that the film would have been less "violent" had the plot seen men be nearly irradiated.

He said: "It would be less violent. Violence in the movie is always something [the main character] is trying to keep at bay."

Affleck previously confessed he was "naive" to think it would be easy to direct the movie and admits he thought it wouldn't be too bad to take the helm of the movie because it was on a "smaller scale".

He said: "I know. It is. I was naive enough to think that this would be easy because it was a smaller scale. It was hard but I would do it over and over again."