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The footage lay untouched until 2008, when Sluizer suffered an aortic dissection, a potentially fatal tear in the wall of the aorta. Sluizer's brush with death motivated him to finally finish "Dark Blood."
"It's in fact quite simple," he said. "But it is very precious if you can finish something decently which you started with so many people."
With a contribution from the Netherlands Film Fund, his own personal investment and donations obtained via the Dutch crowd-funding website Cinecrowd, Sluizer rewrote the film and cut it with editor Michiel Reichwein beginning in January 2012. (The original script is by Jim Barton.) To fill in gaps left by unfilmed scenes and misplaced footage, Sluizer himself provided narration over still photographs taken during production.
The director said he has contacted Phoenix's mother, Arlyn, who made it "very clear" that the Phoenix family is not interested in being involved with the film.
"Dark Blood" premiered at the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht in September, to a standing ovation. In a review for Variety, Boyd van Hoeij called the film "a surprisingly coherent vision of a decidedly oddball story" and added, "Phoenix exerts a suitably charismatic and commanding air in his final role, making Boy a complex, fully mature character."
Powell also attended the screening. "I had known for many years that George had this mad idea, frankly, to try and complete the film, and God bless him," he said. Despite his initial skepticism, Powell came away impressed.
"I think [Sluizer] achieved a successful film, a successful storytelling piece," Powell said. "And of course it was nice. The film was wonderfully shot and had some really wonderful performances in it."
Berlin International Film Festival Director Dieter Kosslick said he was interested in programming "Dark Blood" because it's "a western with suggestive power which mainly arises from the attendance of the main character, who was himself on the verge of death." He added that it was "a pretty strange experience to see River Phoenix after so many years on the big screen."
The film will have its U.S. premiere at the Miami International Film Festival on March 6.
Jaie Laplante, the director of the Miami festival, called the movie "something that's worth seeing beyond a curiosity factor" and described Sluizer as "an artist with things to say."
Beyond the festival circuit, Sluizer said he hopes to negotiate the rights to the original materials and is exploring the possibility of theatrical distribution.
"The film, if people think that it is worthwhile, then it should be seen by whoever wants to see it," he said. "That's why things are made — to be seen."
Special correspondent Susan Stone in Berlin contributed to this report.
