Coppola Debuts Marc by Sofia Documentary on Marc Jacobs at Venice

Sofia Coppola and Marc Jacobs made a conspicuous appearance at the Venice Film Festival on Tuesday as Coppola premiered Marc by Sofia, her first documentary, a personal portrait of the fashion designer that bows at the Lido during the festival that runs Aug. 27 to Sept. 6. The longtime friends walked the red carpet together in coordinated Marc Jacobs looks and later addressed the press about the film, which traces Jacobs through the making of a collection while threading in the references and influences that have shaped his career.

Coppola told reporters she was hesitant when producers first suggested a documentary about Jacobs, saying, "When they asked me to do a film on Marc, I thought, No, I cant do that. Its too much pressure." She said she ultimately embraced the project as an opportunity to revisit the archives of a friendship spanning three decades and to assemble an impressionistic, moodboardlike portrait rather than a conventional biography. Jacobs described feeling "vulnerable" about opening up but added that he trusted Coppola's approach. At the press conference, he said being frank about difficult subjects helped him avoid shame and that the film was never intended...