Mike Figgishas been shooting a behind-the-scenes documentary for the past 18 months about the making ofFrancis Ford CoppolasMegalopolis.
He recorded an interview with the cinema titan the other day.
He will go back toMegadocto include the sad fact thatEleanor died last monthat age 87.
Mike Figgis (inset) Paul Schrader with Cate BlanchettBaz Bamigboye/Deadline
Fred was 89 and was like a teenager.
I emailed him on Saturday night.
I met him obviously on the set ofMegalopolisand I interviewed him for the documentary.
Cate Blanchett and Paul Schrader at Lanvin and Finch & Partners soireeBamigboye/Deadline
He was a producer ofMegalopolisand also, of course, the casting director, Figgis explained.
I suddenly got a message saying the meeting was cancelled.
That was very sad.
We both paused a moment to remember Fred.
Ellie also passed and I want to go back to that.
So two major characters have passed.
I owe it to honor them in the documentary, he told me.
MakingMegadochas been a year and a half crazy ride, said Figgis.
I asked what the terms of engagement are with Coppola.
It has to be honest, and finally we arrived at an agreement, he stated.
I probed further and asked whether there had been interference of any kind; were changes or cuts demanded?
Look, Im not making a gotcha documentary, and obviously I start from a point of respect.
Come on, this is Francis Ford Coppola.
My privilege was knowing him through Nicolas Cage 30 years ago.
He never said, You cant be there or leave the room.
And he had a microphone on him at all times.
Francis does not want to be at the mercy of an industrial kind of system.
Figgis noted that Coppola bankrolled everything because he wanted to have that independence.
And I think he wanted me to have that independence too.
Its fly on the wall and all that entails, he said.
He wanted physical props as well.
At that point it became difficult for everybody because the world has changed.
The way the Marvel Universe functions is like you pre-plan six months before, you storyboard.
Francis is not that kind of a filmmaker, Figgis explained.
George Lucas was also interviewed by Figgis.
That is the poetic message of my documentary, he told me.
Figgis said the films looking to launch at one of the big fall festivals.
So theres a two-hour cut and a series, theres a lot of material.
Figgis has two projects of his own that hes hoping to raise finance for.
Asked to explain what the dark side is, he said the dark side is a cultural explosion.
Its the pop industry within their patriarchy, which is somewhat misogynistic, lets put it that way.
