Megadoc

You can't go wrong here, Francis Ford Coppola repeats this mantra as he prepares to shoot Megalopolis, the film he calls the culmination of his life’s work. What he means is that, approaching his 90th birthday, the legendary director is more open than ever to experimentation, to bold choices, to unexpected ideas from his cast and crew. And indeed, anyone who has seen his latest film knows just how much the Apocalypse Now auteur values creative risk. That risk goes hand in hand with monumental ambition — and it’s this combination that most fascinates British filmmaker Mike Figgis, who was invited onto the set of Megalopolis to document Coppola’s process. Speaking with cast members (including Aubrey Plaza and Shia LaBeouf), fellow directors (George Lucas), producers, Coppola’s family, and the man himself, Figgis crafts a layered portrait of an uncompromising visionary — and, perhaps more importantly, of someone who can inspire others to believe in that vision too. Premiering at this year’s Venice Film Festival, Megadoc is both an intimate look behind the scenes and a passionate defense of auteur cinema: filmmaking that defies studio formulas and streaming giants, that dares to be difficult, imperfect, and visionary — and that pushes the language and envelope of cinema forward.