“I need to fight for fractions of what male directors receive”, says Sofia Coppola

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Sofia Coppola commented on the difficulties of being a female filmmaker who makes films independently. The American director is currently promoting her new film, ‘Priscilla’, which had a budget of around US$20 million — very low by Hollywood standards.

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“I see these men getting millions of dollars, and I need to fight for a small fraction of that,” she said in an interview with the BBC. “I think this is due to the culture of this medium. It’s frustrating, but I’m always fighting to get [the money] and I’m happy to make my films independently and find people who believe in them.”

Coppola, however, believes there is a creative advantage to making independent films without ties to big studios: “There is challenge and freedom in making a small film, because if you have a big budget, you have a lot of input from studio executives, and I could never make a film like that.”

“So I have this freedom,” he continued, before focusing on Priscilla’s behind the scenes: “You have to be very cunning; it was difficult, but I had the best team. We managed to reuse the sets, and I don’t even know how we made so many costumes ! Everyone helped, and I had very creative department heads.”

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‘Priscilla’ follows the story of Priscilla Presley, who was married to Elvis between 1967 and 1973. Read the film’s synopsis: “When teenager Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who was already a rock superstar becomes someone completely unexpected in private moments: an exciting passion, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend. 

Through the eyes of Priscilla, Sofia Coppola tells the invisible side of a great American myth during Elvis’ long courtship and turbulent marriage and Priscilla, from a German military base to her dream estate at Graceland. A profound and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy and fame.”

Priscilla premiered in theaters at the end of October and is already available on digital platforms.