In this exclusive interview, director GIA COPPOLA discusses the poignant, revelatory, and beautiful film, THE LAST SHOWGIRL.
SYNOPSIS: A poignant film of resilience, rhinestones, and feathers, stars Pamela Anderson as Shelly, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.
Directed by Gia Coppola and written by Kate Gersten, THE LAST SHOWGIRL stars Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, Kiernan Shipka, and Brenda Song.
A wonderful conversation with director GIA COPPOLA about THE LAST SHOWGIRL, we packed a lot of information into a brief amount of time as we focused much of our interview on the technical aspects of the film and developing its visual and emotional elements, among them:
- delving deep into the cinematography and Gia’s collaboration with DP Autumn Durald Arkapaw in designing the film’s visual grammar
- electing to shoot on 16mm film for its grain and rawness on an Arriflex 416 camera with Panavision Auto Panatar anamorphic lenses creates a dreamy atmosphere that captures the nostalgic memory of what Vegas was in its heyday and what protagonist Shelly (exquisitely portrayed by Pamela Anderson) sees and feels
- emphasizing the importance of making Las Vegas a character, handheld camerawork (originally borne out of budgetary constraints) adds urgency and authenticity with a sense of verite
- Andrew Wyatt’s score and needledrops
- blending real instruments with a 1950s melodramatic beat, authentically capturing the sonic landscape of Vegas’ sensory overload
- use of an actual orchestra, rather than just synthetic sounds, was important to represent the analog versus digital themes of the film
- inclusion of Jamie Lee Curtis’s dance performance of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and how it came to be based; its importance in adding a pop energy and levity to the film while still maintaining the overall tone and themes of the film
- finding a balance between the old and new, the nostalgic and contemporary, in the musical choices which helped to foster a sense of the timeless quality of Vegas and the characters’ experiences
- the editing process for the montages in THE LAST SHOWGIRL; a combination of planned and discovered moments; wanting to make space for Las Vegas to be its own character, Gia and Anderson would shoot exterior and B-roll footage of the city after filming each day.
- a serendipitous discovery in the editing room was the dreaminess of the story and Shelley’s (Anderson) form of grief expressed through dance which became more meaningful than the initial plan
- Gia’s reflections on her growth as a filmmaker, particularly in trusting her instincts and managing challenges, and how becoming a mother during the process of making THE LAST SHOWGIRL impacted the film
- and more!
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 12/05/2024
THE LAST SHOWGIRL is in theatres nationwide on January 10, 2025.
