A new documentary about the life of Russell Brand, “BRAND: A Second Coming,” is the opening night film at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival, but don’t expect to see photos of Brand outside its premiere. The comic, actor and author announced on Friday that he would not attend the debut.

“You’d think a narcissist would like nothing more than talking about themselves and their ‘rags to riches,’ ‘hard luck’ story but actually, it felt like, to me, my life was hard enough the first time round and going through it again was painful and sad,” Brand wrote on his website.

Directed by Ondi Timoner — after, according to Brand, an apparent parade of other directors took a crack at the film over the course of seven years — “BRAND” documents the life of the 39-year-old, including his battle with drug addiction, marriage to Katy Perry and current role as a political activist.

“Ondi is a very beautiful person and a director of peerless integrity, I suppose what I didn’t consider was that in letting go of the film, I was agreeing to be the subject of a biography,” Brand wrote. “Posthumously this is a great honor but while you’re alive, oddly intrusive and melancholy.”

Brand closed the note with an apology to South by Southwest Film Festival organizers, including Janet Pierson, the head of SXSW Film.

Read the full letter over at Brand’s website.