Eleanor Coppoladocumentary director and wife of Francis Ford Coppola, died at age 87 at her home in Rutherford, California. The family announced it to the Associated Press.
She was born in Los Angeles on May 4, 1936, and met her husband at the University of California, working as an assistant director on the set of his 1963 debut film, Dementia 13. The two married shortly after and had three children: Gian Carlo, who died in a boating accident in 1986 at the age of 22, then Roman, 58, and daughter Sofia, 55.
Sofia herself had not attended the screening of her film about Elvis’ wife at the beginning of October Priscilla at the New York Film Festival to be with her, declaring: «I am with my mother, to whom this film is dedicated».
My daughter and her generation, and generations after, take it for granted that they will do whatever their calling is
Eleanor Coppola
Eleanor Coppola had become known for directing the 1991 Emmy-winning documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypsewho followed Francis in the creation of Apocalypse Now (1979) a very complicated film and a set full of difficulties – filming in the Philippines lasted eight months, a hurricane destroyed the sets, Martin Sheen had a heart attack and a member of the construction crew died.
She had also been behind the camera to document her daughter’s films, The Virgin Suicides (1999) e Maria Antonietta (2006). Only at the age of 80 had she attempted a real feature filmcon Paris Can Wait (2016) e Love Is Love Is Love (2020).
To explain the reason for such a late debut in fiction, in an interview with THR she said: «I grew up in the 40s and 50s, and a woman’s role was to support her husband and create a beautiful home for him. I was frustrated because I didn’t have time to pursue my interests. Young women today have no idea. My daughter and her generation, and subsequent generations, take it for granted that they will do whatever their calling is. Nothing will ever depend on their role, or whether they have to give it up because they are wives and mothers.” And she added: «I’m a housewife who suddenly decided that she’s going to write a movie and direct it. It was terrifying, but part of the challenge was overcoming all your fears and just going for it.”
The director had also written a book about her life with her husband, Notes on a lifein which he addressed the pain for the loss of his firstborn son, known as «Gio» – who had left his daughter Gia – in a boat accident in 1986. In some touching pages he recounts the struggle to live with the pain and the subsequent attempt to keep his family safe, the support given to his daughter Sofia during the making of Lost In Translationand other moments of fun and intimacy with her director husband.