Describing herself as “self-conscious” in front of the camera, our Queen Sheva of the week is certainly confident behind it. Sofia Coppola, director of indie hits like Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette, is using her talents to change women’s role in the film industry.
Sofia Coppola was born in New York City and is the daughter of renowned film director Francis Ford Coppola, best know for revolutionizing gangster movies with The Godfather in 1972, and Eleanor Coppola, a documentary filmmaker and designer. Her parents raised her in an artistic household and exposed her to the world of film at a very young age, a world she was always eager to learn more about. Her father says he knew she would be a director when he and his wife were bickering in the car and a three-year-old Sofia yelled, “CUT!”.
Although Sofia initially began acting in her father’s films when she was a child and then went on to study painting, she always aspired to write and direct her own films. Finally, in 1998, she wrote, produced and directed a short comedy called Lick the Star and was hooked. Her 1999 film, The Virgin Suicides, and her 2003 film, Lost in Translation, were incredibly successful and highly praised by critics. The latter earned her Best Director and Best Picture at the Golden Globes. She then made history with Lost in Translation by becoming the first woman ever to be nominated for Best Director at the Academy Awards.
When Sofia began acting and then directing, many people criticized her for nepotism, believing that she would only be successful because of her father’s fame. She has since proved all of her critics wrong through her highly original, meticulous and colorful style that is the polar opposite of her father’s. Her more recent films, Marie Antoinette (2006) and The Bling Ring (2013) have also been highly successful and showcase Sofia’s diverse talents.
Sofia currently lives in Paris with her husband, Thomas Mars (lead singer of Phoenix), and continues to work on awesome film projects. This gifted writer and director is also a trailblazer for women in this field, and hopefully inspires you on this Hump Day to find your passion and give it your best.
