Patricia Arquette used ‘Gonzo Girl’ to explore the “nebulous nature of addiction and co-dependency”.

The actress made her directorial debut taking charge of the new film which is based on the book of the same name by Cheryl Della Pietra and is inspired by the story of the author’s time spent working as assistant to writer Hunter S. Thompson - and Arquette has insisted she wanted to use the movie to bring a fresh perspective to his life story.

Speaking at the Toronto Film Festival in Canada, she said the movie questions “What is the commodity of beauty?” She added: “[It was] a look at the nebulous nature of addiction and co-dependency and how your move through your boundaries.”

The director went on to say: “I thought it was interesting to be an artist and trapped in your own celebrity. The world wants to keep you in that box and doesn’t want you to break out.”

“When does co-dependency go to the max? … When is it you’ve done so many years of self-abandonment? I thought it was interesting to see that that gambit.”

The film stars Camila Morrone as assistant Alley Russo and also features Willem Dafoe and Sean Penn. Deadline.com reports Arquette had initially been asked to act in the film but later took charge of the project after the original director dropped out and the movie was eventually shot in just 21 days.

‘Gonzo Girl’ secured an interim agreement from the SAG-AFTRA actors union which allowed the cast to attend the film festival screening amid the ongoing actors and writers strike which has brought Hollywood to a standstill.

During the event Arquette threw her support behind all of the striking writers and actors, wearing a large SAG-AFTRA to the event and telling journalists: “We very much support our union, it's a very important strike for us.”