Eleanor Coppola was a documentary filmmaker best known for “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” which chronicles the making of her husband Francis Ford Coppola’s landmark picture, “Apocalypse Now.”
- Died: April 12, 2024 (Who else died on April 12?)
- Details of death: Died in California’s Napa Valley at the age of 87.
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Eleanor Coppola’s legacy
Eleanor Coppola was born in Los Angeles and spent most of her life in the region. After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, she met filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola while working on the set of his first film, the 1962 horror movie “Dementia 13.” They married shortly thereafter, and she gave birth to their first of three children, Gian-Carlo.
Surrounded by filmmaking – her daughter, Sofia, would also become a director – Coppola sought to chronicle the background details of how these films were made, capturing both the creative process and intimate family moments. While cast and crew suffered during the making of her spouse’s moody 1979 war epic “Apocalypse Now,” Coppola was alongside them, filming the whole thing. It resulted in the 1991 documentary, “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” widely considered one of the best behind-the-scenes documentaries ever made. It won two Emmy Awards, the National Board of Review award for Best Documentary and more.
Coppola made her feature film debut at 81 years old, directing 2016’s romantic comedy, “Paris Can Wait,” starring Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin. She followed that up in 2020 with “Love is Love is Love.” Coppola was also an author, penning “Notes on the Making of Apocalypse Now” and the memoir “Notes on Life.” Other documentaries include features on Sofia Coppola films like “The Virgin Suicides” and “Marie Antoinette.”
On the making of Apocalypse Now:
“There were times when I would just say to him, ‘You know what? We can just go home. You can just say this one didn’t work out. You’ve made fabulous films before, and you can again. Just let this one go.’ But that kind of determination was a big lesson in living my life.” — interview with Deadline, 2017
Tributes to Eleanor Coppola
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
