Gia Coppola: "Andrew Garfield is likely one of the nice actors of our technology"

Gia Coppola is on a mission to make a reputation for herself. The indie filmmaker grew up immersed on this planet of cinema – you could be accustomed to her aunt Sofia or granddad Francis Ford – however minimize her enamel as a photographer, earlier than making her directorial function debut with the wistful 2013 coming-of-age drama Palo Alto in 2013.

She went on to direct a string of music movies – working with Blood Orange, Carly Rae Jepsen and extra – earlier than returning to the massive display screen with daring, trippy social media send-up Mainstream. That includes an unhinged efficiency from Andrew Garfield and a string of viral sketches together with influencers Casey Frey and Jake Paul in addition to stars Maya Hawke, Nat Wolff and Euphoria‘s Alexa Demie, it’ll make you query all the pieces you knew and all the pieces you want you didn’t about YouTube, the web and the best way we reside our lives on-line.

Right here, Coppola tells NME in regards to the attraction of Los Angeles, her love of pop music and why Garfield is criminally underrated.

What’s it about LA that makes it such a captivating place for filmmakers?

“It’s very exhausting to pinpoint. There’s all this historical past about moviemaking – motion pictures contain a lot phantasm and magic. Then, once you’re right here and also you see it, there’s a really darkish facet to that too. I grew up proper above Hollywood Boulevard, and it all the time felt to me like this metaphor for Los Angeles, and in a manner social media too: there’s all these glitzy glamorous storefronts, however on the identical time there’s most likely a Freddy Krueger crossing the road attempting to make some cash.”

As a director, are you extra impressed by what got here earlier than or issues which might be coming subsequent – like TikTok stars who’re altering what cinema can seem like?

“It’s a mix of all of that. I’m such a lover of flicks, so a part of my fascination was the problem of taking this world that’s so analogue and intangible, and making emotion round it. I wished to play with the blurred traces of when reality and actuality get combined up within the social media house. I’m all the time attempting to take previous and new and discover a manner for them to come back collectively.”

Your thought for Mainstream got here from speaking to a buddy who represents YouTube influencers. Now you’ve completed it, do you assume in a different way about these content material creators?

“I don’t know if I’ve discovered all of the solutions, however beforehand, I had an already-set opinion. Attending to know these folks gave me a brand new perspective. Somebody like Juanpa [Zurita, YouTube influencer] or Patrick Starr, they’ve a lot coronary heart they usually actually really feel a reference to their fanbase – they usually take quite a lot of accountability for that. They’re actually creative with attempting to inform tales in a brand new manner. So, I feel there are professionals and cons to what I found – and I simply wished to begin a dialog.”

That is one among Andrew Garfield’s wildest performances…

“It’s actually all simply Andrew. I simply created an area for him to run free. He’s clearly one of many nice actors of our technology. He’s so clever about our tradition and the place it’s headed, so I knew he would assist me determine how you can implement all that stuff in a really subliminal manner. However I additionally knew that he’s an amazing dancer. He has comedic timing, and there’s all this stuff he hasn’t gotten to showcase as a result of he will get sometimes forged because the hero. I believed it could be so fascinating to see him as a maniacal character. As a result of to ensure that an viewers to actually stick with somebody like that, you have to have a likability and goodness too.”

…and Mainstream has some some nice needle drops too. How did you choose King Princess and Grimes?

“I was so good about digging for underground, old skool stuff and being such a snob about it. After which as I’ve gotten older, I’m identical to: ‘I like Prime 40 stuff!’ It’s fascinating to me, a number of the sound results are actually humorous and entertaining. However with this form of pop music, I simply wished it to be good and enjoyable. I felt prefer it was actually necessary for this film to be enjoyable and to not be a lecture, and for it to simply be a wild trip.”

Do you assume social media is aiding or damaging cinema?

“I discover it helpful when storing photos for visible references so I like it in that manner, however when it comes to pondering you solely exist In case you have a sure variety of followers? I don’t consider that. I feel the work can communicate for itself, and if it connects, it’ll create its personal journey.”

‘Mainstream’ is out now on Digital Obtain