In April, The Henry Ford Museum was honored to present Francis Ford at the Henry Ford, an exclusive cinematic series featuring innovator and icon Francis Ford Coppola, one of the most critically acclaimed and influential filmmakers.
Francis Ford at The Henry Ford offered a private student screening of the film, Megalopolis, followed by an intimate, in-person conversation with Coppola, taking MSU film and cinema students behind the scenes of the film and providing insights into his creative process. Fostering a sense of community, the private student screening served as an extended learning experience beyond the classroom, sparking discussions focusing on creativity in filmmaking.
"I had a wonderful experience at the screening of Megalopolis," said senior Annabelle Velten. "It was an honor being able to speak with the director of a movie, who is one of my favorite directors of all time. It was such a great opportunity to be able to sit down in a room full of film students and watch a movie by one of the most famous directors. He gave amazing advice to all of us, and it truly felt like he wanted to be there and talk with us all."
"The overall experience was awesome, to say the least," said senior Hayley Vedders. "MSU students were able to meet other student filmmakers and film lovers from different parts of Michigan, and it was so fun to feel connected to that type of community. There is something so special about watching a movie with your film-loving peers in general but being able to do that with Francis Ford Coppola was something I will never forget. We were able to ask him questions not just about this film, but about his career and the current filmmaking business. The talk overall felt like a push to keep going even if the journey to become a filmmaker can be difficult at times."
Released in 2024, Megalopolis is set in the 21st century and follows Cesar Catilina, a visionary architect, on his journey to revitalize New York City —also known as New Rome — by building a futuristic utopia.
"My emotion and anticipation of meeting such a cinema legend was amplified during the showing of Megalopolis, a movie that blended periods of history and questioned societal values," journalism senior Sarah Romain added. "Hearing Coppola speak after was truly inspiring. He told us there are no rules and encouraged us to tell meaningful stories. He expressed how cinema is changing and that we are still learning. It touched [us] to hear his point of view of what cinema will look like for our children's generation and their children's generations. Coppola advised aspiring filmmakers to write and act in a play to get insight into acting."
By Miles Sloan