Sofia Coppola, the acclaimed filmmaker and daughter of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola, has had a unique journey in the film industry, starting from a young age onscreen to becoming a recognized director and screenwriter. Born into one of cinema’s most prominent families, she appeared as a child in all three installments of the Godfather series, including her role as Mary Corleone in The Godfather Part III (1990). Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she also appeared in several films directed by her father, such as The Outsiders (1983), Rumble Fish (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), and Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), as well as in various music videos, including those for Sonic Youth, The Black Crowes, Madonna, and The Chemical Brothers.

Despite this extensive early experience in front of the camera, Coppola’s transition to working behind it is considered a defining moment in her career. Influences such as Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, who recommended Jeffrey Eugenides’ novel The Virgin Suicides (1993) to her, helped inspire her writing and directing pursuits. Her 2003 film Lost in Translation notably secured Bill Murray’s involvement amidst uncertainty, with the actor agreeing to participate without a formal contract. Coppola is also known for including distinctive touches in her films, like the presence of Converse sneakers in her 2006 period drama Marie Antoinette.

Most recently, Coppola has revisited Marie Antoinette through a documentary titled Making Marie Antoinette, which draws on over 80 hours of behind-the-scenes footage originally recorded by her mother, Eleanor Coppola. The documentary was completed following Eleanor’s death in 2024 and coincides with the film’s 20th anniversary celebration. Complementing the documentary release are a costume and props exhibition set at the Petit Trianon in Versailles, where the original film was partly shot, and a mini concert held by the band New Order.

Making Marie Antoinette will be released in cinemas on October 23 and will be available for streaming on the platform Mubi beginning November 6. As part of the documentary’s promotion, audiences have been invited to submit questions for Sofia Coppola, with responses to be featured in an upcoming interview.