We’re saddened to announce that filmmaker Eleanor Coppola has passed away at 87. Known for her documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, she died at her home in Rutherford, California. Eleanor is survived by her husband, Francis Ford Coppola, and their two youngest children, Sofia and Roman.

Eleanor’s documentary followed her husband’s challenging journey directing the movie Apocalypse Now, particularly the difficult shoot in the Philippines.

This experience inspired her to become a filmmaker herself. The documentary won two Emmy Awards in 1991 for directing and editing. Later, Eleanor directed two narrative films. In 2016, she made Paris Can Wait starring Diane Lane, Alec Baldwin, and Arnaud Viard, becoming the oldest American director to debut a dramatic feature film.

Her last film, Love is Love is Love in 2020, explored the love stories of three different couples. Eleanor also wrote a memoir about her family life during Francis’s successful career with films like The Godfather.

The Making of Heart of Darkness

In a 2017 interview, Eleanor talked about her experience directing her award-winning documentary:

“I initially wanted to document ‘Apocalypse Now.’ I had some experience making small art films in the ’70s, but filming in the Philippines was mesmerizing. I loved looking through the camera’s viewfinder and decided to make more documentaries because I enjoyed filming.”

Filmmaking runs deep in the Coppola family. Francis Ford Coppola is known for classic films like The Godfather series, The Outsiders, and Apocalypse Now. His upcoming film, Megalopolis, starring Adam Driver, is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival soon.

Eleanor and Francis’s daughter, Sofia, has directed acclaimed films like Lost in Translation and The Bling Ring and recently directed Priscilla, a film about Priscilla Presley. Their son, Roman, has worked with Wes Anderson, writing films like Asteroid City and Isle of Dogs. We extend our condolences to Eleanor Coppola’s family.